Balcones Brimstone

Imagine A&W root beer without the CO2, boiled with charcoal and peat until H2O almost gone. Then turpentine added for taste and body. My parents used to give me coal oil and sugar for flu when I was a kid. Liked it then. Helped the symptoms. But check your liver enzymes as a baseline. My dad was Texan.

29th November 2022

I can see how this is a love it or hate it whiskey. It starts off with an almost unpleasant smoked food taste. It reminded me of Chechil and Lapsang Souchong or like licking a bbq pit. However the more you drink it the less you notice the smoke and the more you notice all the complex flavors it has to offer. It’s comparable to an Islay scotch in that way. Flavors of rock candy, salted toffee, grilled corn, butter and brisket burnt ends. I want to buy a few bottles of this just to cellar because I never want to run out of this stuff.

3rd June 2020

Dominic Roskrow said that this tasted like scraping the burnt meat off the bbq, griding it with charcoal and adding that to a bourbon. Its a pretty accurate description of this whisky but if you like Smokey whiskys, this is a must have in the cabinet.

I personally love it but it's an acquired taste.

12th April 2020

Different in all the best ways. I love a peaty scotch (Lagavulin is my fave). This is not that ... but excellent. Smoky but not mediciny. This is a great try for anyone that likes smoke in their whiskey. Surprisingly even and smooth start to the wonderful smoky finish.

20th October 2019

Very, very well done. Single malt scotch feel but in a bourbon whiskey. For those that like smoky, you won’t be disappointed. If you’re a Laphroig, Ardbeg or Lagavulen fan, you’ll like this one.

23rd February 2019

I found a lot of depth in this whiskey. I wasn't sold at first but as I made my way through the first glass, I gained an appreciation for its flavor. Maybe not my favorite but a good one to try. I'd probably give it 4.5 stars.

15th July 2018

There's a lot of depth to the flavor of this whiskey. I wasn't sold at first but as I made my way through the glass I furthered my appreciation of it. Maybe not my favorite but it's a good one to try.

15th July 2018

This whisky divides opinion more than any other but it tastes like no other whisky so that is not surprising. I love it but I'll add that if you want a traditional whisky experience don't even think about it. This is not peat smoke but a wild bush fire smoke. Burning wood and scrub bush with Tabasco sauce poured on top. For people that like to experience something a bit way out it's for you. Texas in a glass. Don't bother if you want a typical profile.

21st March 2018

Different can be good, intense can be good. But this is just not good (to me). I poured it for a friend who liked it but couldn't get through a whole glass of it, which says something about its drinkability. Maybe this should only be sold in half bottles.

25th August 2017

If you like a good cigar with your whisky, this will do the trick in a non-smoking establishment. I'm not talented enough to name all of the subtle flavors, but I can call out the primary -- smoke. It's quite different, and 30 minutes after finishing my first glass I could swear I smoked a good cigar around a campfire. Not a whisky I would use for most cocktails (although the smoked manhattan wouldn't need any artsy smoking with this base), but I like it.

31st July 2017