Balcones Brimstone
Added on Thursday, Sep 20, 2012 at 06:51 PM
  Bottler: Balcones
  Age: N/A Type: American
  Vintage: N/A Subtype: Corn
  ABV: 53.00 % Region: Texas
  Price: $50 Availability: Specialty Stores
100% corn whiskey smoked with Texas scrub oak aged for less than two years in 55 and 60 gallon barrels.
Member Ratings and Notes
Sku
 
The nose opens with a strong smell of burnt rubber, like when a semi slams on the brakes, followed by some bourbon, so like when a truck full of bourbon slams on the breaks, deep into the nose you acclimate to the smoke and there's an almost sherry like frutiness. The palate is both sweet, in that fruity way, and smoky. There's honey, some burnt orange rind, still a bit of rubber though not nearly as much as on the nose and lots of campfire. It modulates between sweet and smoky with other flavors poking up; there's smoked salmon, sea water, mezcal...the more you drink the more you taste. The finish is like Los Angeles in September, a strong smoky haze from a fire somewhere nearby.

 

This is a pretty remarkable whiskey, different from anything else on the market. It's really packed with flavor. The smoke in this is huge, but it's nothing like peat. When I first tried Brimstone, I wasn't sure about it, but after a few different tasting sessions, I've really come to enjoy and even crave its flavors.

Andy
 

n: Inside of a new plastic container

 

p:  Bacon and tire rubber.  Kinda wierd but not bad.  This will be polarizing for many.

 

 

Ries
 

n: burnt rubber, smoke, and dried red berries. Like a bike tire thrown on a campfire when you have a berry cobbler baking in a dutch oven.

Some sweet notes, burnt marshmallow + caramel.

 

t: mesquite wood smoked salmon, dry Texas scrub brush, and grilled peaches. Middle turns charred sweet corn (with the green husk still on), sweet, and phenolic flavors. Finish is grilled green chilies, brown sugar, and black pepper. Very Texas BBQ and a herbal quality in the finish that lasts for a very, very long time. Have to say that this is quite perverse and weird - not "peaty" smoky - this is very unique. Many people will find this too "industrial"; but it is very memorable!  [B/B-, I could not drink this everyday...]

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