Whisky : Balcones 4 Year, Single Cask Nation “Double Cask”

Country/Region : United States

ABV : 60.9%

Cask : New Charred American Oak & Refill American Oak

Age : 4 Years (Distilled Sept./Oct. 2015, Bottled July 2020)

Nose :  Wood, fruit, and spice.  Loaded with toasty wood driven vanillin which lent itself to the impression of a vanilla creme brûlée.  Notes of maple syrup, woodsy “barn-chic” wedding venues, orange soda, and cherry popsicle sticks.  Black tea, nettles, star anise, and fennel gave the dram an odd sort of fruity-herbal spice character over time.

Palate : Thick and woody, tannic though not overly astringent, with cola, herbs, and fruit.  Ricola cough drops came to mind as the profile drifted between bitter and sweet, herbal and fruity.  Honeycomb, melted slushy, orange popsicle stick, and roasted nuts.  On the backend were notes of RC Cola, herbal lavender tea, star anise, and medicinal cherry cough syrup.

Finish : Lingering spice and dryness

Score : 5

Mental Image : Popsicle Stick Puns

Notes : This had a fascinating combination of woody, sweet, and herbal notes that kept me coming back for more.  There was something sweetly nostalgic about this I could not quite pin down.  The closest I could figure, this hit somewhere between a Ricola cough drop or that feeling of accidentally biting down on a popsicle stick.  Ultimately, this was a bit too woody for my taste, though I appreciated its balanced thick mouthfeel that never became too tannic.  Balcones usually has a cola note I pick up on, but I have never had a dram that specifically reminded me of RC Cola, so that was a fun note/impression to pop out.

Overall, I am sure Single Cask Nation made the right call vatting these two casks to help balance out some of the wilder inclinations of these older Balcones barrels.  While a five might seem a slightly disappointing score for something I did enjoy, this fell right in that crack of drams that I thought were fun, but which I do not really care to have again.  Balcones and Single Cask Nation both continue to impress and as always, I will be on the lookout for more chances to try them.