Review #639 - Balcones True Blue Cask Strength Single Barrel - BevMo Pick
Balcones' True Blue whisky is made with roasted blue corn - a mashbill of 100% blue corn, in fact, making this a corn whisky. There's a 100 proof version as well as a cask strength version, and the cask strength version is offered for single barrel picks; that's what we have here, a barrel pick from the BevMo! retail chain.
The price on these cask strength single barrels is somewhat reasonable - we generally see them on sale for $65 to $75. They come with quite a punch as well, and this BevMo! pick is bottled at 63.9% ABV (127.8 proof).
Balcones True Blue Cask Strength Single Barrel - BevMo Pick
USA - Corn Whisky
Price: USD 68 (2025)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 63.9% ABV
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 4 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Tons of butterscotch - quite sweet with caramel and corn spirit notes. Oak builds with time, and there's a dusty character to the grain; sweet breakfast cereal like Golden Grahams, soft wood char, and light earthy notes are accents.
Palate: A thick mouthfeel - ridiculous texture, very syrupy and rich. Fizzy nectarine, tart orange peel, and some peach bring a fruity side, and there's a big blast of barbecued oak. That soft Texas grain funk lingers in the background, and we get some wood smoke and dried grass; canned corn is an accent taste. Lots of flavor, but it's also quite hot.
Finish: Buttery and oily, hot, with a decent amount of dry, smoky oak. Whole grain bread and sharp stone fruit mix with earthy licorice notes and soft caramel; it's still very warm, and the finish is medium-long.
Final Note: Amazing texture, and lots of sweetness - this single barrel corn whisky is packed with flavor. It's definitely a bit hot, too, but that isn't too surprising given the strength; lots of sweet corn notes and a decent amount of fruit make up the bulk of the profile. There's some oak as well, but that's a bit more reserved than on some other Balcones whiskies that we've tasted.
Value here is very good if you like the profile - this price for a barrel proof single barrel is very fair, and there are a lot of interesting flavors to dig into.
Our Average Rating: 7.3 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.16
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
