Whisky: Balcones 5 Year, Lost Lantern 2022 Release

Country/Region: United States/Texas

ABV: 64.4%

Cask: Refill Tequila/Balcones Rumble Barrel

Age: 5 Years (Bottled 2022)

Nose: Initial agave-spirit blast, then honey, figs, nectarines, lacquered wood, black sugar buns, and with time creamy butter and vanilla bean.

Palate: Full-bodied and juicy with honey-rich mead, plum wine, grilled peaches and nectarines, undercurrents of chicory, nutmeg, persimmon, and brown sugar.

Finish: Long and lingering with honey, stone fruit, and pastry.

Score: 8

Mental Image: Backyard Summer Fruit Cobbler

Narrative & Notes: An initial gust of agave spirit cleared to reveal honey-drenched figs, plums, and nectarines—juicy ripe stone fruit with a woody edge between pits and lacquered wood. The maltiness was slow to arrive but appeared with black sugar buns, fig cakes, and honey rolls with ample creamy butter. Full-bodied and thick with mead, plum wine, and stone fruits drenched in more honey. Caramelized sugars such as grilled peaches, nectarines, or maybe a malty sweet nectarine cobbler came together on the mid-palate. Creamy butter entered with chicory and persimmons that lingered through onto the finish. Long and lingering with ample honey and stone fruit cobbler delighting the senses.

Rich and vibrant, this was one of the best Balcones I have ever had. I initially tried this at the tail end of a tasting as attendees brought out some of their own bottles to share; a friend had picked this up in California and opened it up for us. Even at the tail end of a tasting, when my palate was a bit tired, the flavors were punchy enough to come through with clarion clarity. Retasting a few days later, and then a few weeks after that, I found the dram was just as rich and vibrant as I recalled. Rarely do I immediately look for a whisky online after tasting it, but I could not help myself with this— of course, it was sold out!

Overall, a fantastic single malt from Balcones and a superb cask selection by the independent bottler Lost Lantern. I cannot wait to taste more from them, and I hope to see more of these refill casks from Balcones (my other favorite was a single malt matured in a refill blue corn whisky barrel).