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I just commented on your last video about McCarthy’s and you started the video with it! I’m behind the times, and I apologize, but so glad to see the bottle come up and that you enjoyed it Kurt! I wish I could have seen Trenton sip though haha.
I need to explore single malts more. A distillery near me, VA Distillery Co. makes American Single Malt that’s pretty good. Their Courage & Conviction has won several awards and they have quite a variety of different finishes.
Agreed. They also have a line of cask strength versions. I enjoy the cuvée finish. They are located in a the foothills of the mountains south of Charlottesville VA. Also many breweries and ciders nearby.
OMG! Stopped at my local Binnys and found a bottle of the Balcones! You were SOOOOO right! I can't believe I scored this amazing bottle in my area for basically LIST - $129.99! This may very well be my new favorite bottle. Truly amazing! I wish I could afford a few backups. I am going to be so spoiled. 😖
SLB Classics 0:52 Classic Trenton cut and edit 1:09 LIVESTREAM and Kents Bday this Friday 2/23 8 PM CST 2:42 Trenton is having a hard time believing it is a bad boy 2:57 MVP Peter 3:37 Trenton cuts to the peat head chase 4:20 I actually hear the fridge or something (furnace) 5:28 DANG IT KENT! 5:49 Trenton works his sourcery (misspelling for pun) 6:26 MVP Matt 6:54 Trenton has a mouth gasm 8:34 Kurt struggles with words 8:48 MVP Doug 10:10 coco, coffee, barley sounds delish weird normal notes from Trenton 11:32 Trenton can’t keep his hands off the wine finished single malts 12:18 MVP Chris 13:27 starting a very long drum roll 14:11 Trenton is going to make Westward disappear 14:43 Some serious readjustment 15:12 the boys love the detail on the bottle 16:36 need to give Trenton more to make his knees weak to 💍🍾 17:49 Trenton knows he has weird notes, firecracker 18:49 Trenton is trying to reign it in 19:21 MVP Johnathon 20:04 great mini series 21:26 the boys are friends and amateurs 21:55 nice sign off and nod…. 22:14 keep the b roll coming
Just a general comment - LOVE what you two do. Really enjoy the shows - just like tasting with my buddies. You do a great job and it is a lot of fun and also leads me on a hunt every now and then.
I've got a bottle of 2022 peated Balcones single malt (62.9% ABV) and it's legitimately one of my favorite whiskies. Ever. It's worth every penny. I know Balcones has a reputation for being polarizing(as with many Texas whiskies) but I truly believe that their malt whisky is world class. Andalusia distillery out of Blanco, TX also produces amazing malt whiskey.
That Breckenridge bottle is a hip flask on steroids! 😂 14:42 The pronunciation is bal-KO-ness. 🙂 The only Balcones barley whisky I've had is the Lineage Texas Single Malt, and it's *good.*. It's a $40 bottle, which is the upper end of my usual budget, but I've enjoyed every sip I've ever had. If I could afford it, I'd gladly pay $50-60 for the Lineage. 16:34 Balcones Distilling began with barley whisky. They branched out into rye, corn whisky, and bourbon, but they first hit the market with barley whisky (a year, IIRC, before the first Garrison Brothers release, which is why the strip below the front label says THE ORIGINAL ⭐ TEXAS WHISKY).
Kurt you are spot on concerning the Balcones as I tried it last night. It is so different, but oh so enjoyable. Thank you for touting this single malt as I probably would not have tried it otherwise.
So my store here in Iowa had a barrel pick of cedar ridge the quintessential and it wasn’t selling and then they set the price to $30 a bottle and I had to get a few back ups before it got cleared out
Highly reccomend Westland out of Portland Oregon. My favorite is rum finished cask. Full proof and regular offering are very good. I have a stout finished bottle but have not opened it yet.
I have really enjoyed these two videos on single malt whiskey. It is amazing how quickly this sector has grown which I'm sure is due to the fact that these are some very good whiskies. I currently only have a bottle of the Stranahan's yellow label but plan to start trying some others and this provides a nice starting point to hunt for. Thanks guys!
Nice. For ones you don’t mention: Balcones Peated is amazing, but I also love Colkegan cask strength (out of Santa Fe, made by a Scotsman), which ranked high on Fred Minnick’s list this year.
I’m relatively new to trying new Bourbons. Could you do a show explaining Malts, cast strengths, single barrel and all the other terms. You show is great entertainment and I learn a ton.
Great video and lineup. Balcones does a bunch of Single Malts and it is going to be their primary product going forward as they move away from their Bourbon production. Their No.1 is their base expression but they also do a Rum Finish and other specialty finishes, Mirador which is made to be a little less intense but they also have a lower price offering that's supposed to be close to what you'd expect from a Scotch called Lineage which is pretty delicious as well. I would also highly recommend that if you can find it and is well worth searching out, the Town Branch 7yr ASM is one of my all time favorites. I've taken it to many parties and converted people that don't even like whiskey to enjoy a pour. Cheers!
Balcones Cataleja has been sitting on the topshelf of the local liquor stores, both big box and small, down here in the Dallas, TX area for the last few weeks. Might have to jump on that and any Westward offerings next time I stop in one. As always, thanks for these "best of" videos. They make it easy to know what to look out for, especially nowadays, with the ever growing selection of American whiskeys. I know you guys aren't the greatest fans of alot of Texas whiskey offerings, but the 2023 release of the Garrison Brothers Guadalupe is probably my favorite pour in my 100+ bottle collection.
Probably the third time I’ve watched this video. Great one. I love single malts. Just picked up a Town Branch store pick in Ankeny, IA and find it delicious. Wondering if you’ve ever had a single malt from Town Branch. Thank you.
The single malt category has become a world wide phenomenon. The United States has produced a lot of good ones in recent years, but so have many other countries. I strongly recommend exploring single malts from everywhere and not concentrating on one country. There are two that immediately come to mind that have some similarity to the American style, at least in terms of richness and complexity: M&H (Israel) - Apex, and Paul John (India) - Mithuna. Both are cask strength, and they are full of flavor. The M&H whisky is reasonably priced and can be found at Total Wine. The Paul John is a special release and is expensive and might not be so easy to find. Considering how good these are, I think it would be worth checking out other offerings from these distilleries. I would love to see some rum on this channel. A good barrel aged rum is a natural choice for whisky drinkers who want to branch out. It can be hard to discover new ones since bars usually view rum as a mixing spirit and don't typically have good sipping rums. I've put in some effort and have started to figure out how to get my hands on the good ones, but I still have a lot to learn.
I’m with you guys in terms of discovering these single malts. As mentioned on the first video, I crossed paths with Westward before many even knew it existed. Btw… thanks for the ending. I’m not sure how much Trenton edits out but would love to see SLB Blooper Reels. Maybe Trenton’s shorts could play a part.
Hi guys, a puncheon barrel is usually larger than the standard USA 53 gallon. Puncheons vary from 59 to over 130 US gallons. They could have had rum or sherry in them. The trouble in this industry is different countries refer to things with different terms. Sometime it is confusing.
So glad I picked up a bottle of the Westward Cask Strength this week. Even happier to learn I got it for a good price! Can't wait to try it. Thanks for this episode!
This was great to delve into with you two.. We've got some of the Westward available out here in ID, and I saw a Balcones offering - not what you have.. Breckenridge 86 proof bourbon blend is available, and a Rum Cask finish, none of the rest... I might drive to Idaho Falls for the Westward after that advertisement! Thanks guys
Oh I would love to try the McCarthy's! I am a huge peat head and being able to get so many favours beyond the peat is a lot of fun! I have had the Breckenridge Dark Arts and I loved it. I can see why it reminds you of the wonderful Glenmorangie Signet and I absolutely enjoyed the signet so much. Delicious! Terrific video! I enjoyed this so much!! 🙂
Just picked up the 130 proof cask strength Westward store pick. its luxury in a bottle. Malty chocolate with a honey drenched stone fruit finish. drinks like a 96 proof. My favorite atm.
Because of you guys, I bought and finished my first ever bottle of Westward Cask Strength and to date, it’s my favorite pour. Also the only American Single Malt I’ve ever had. Can’t wait to try others. Keep up the great work! Love the channel!
Unfortunately many will not compare to that Westward Cask Strength. At least that’s what’s been happening to me. That Westward is soooooo good. Roasty malty chocolate espresso goodness.
My wife really loves Courage and Conviction. It's approachable and goes down smooth, but the value proposition doesn't seem great compared to some legacy scotch brands that don't face the financial pressure a new distillery does when first starting.
A standard bourbon barrel holds 53 US gallons/~200 litres; a puncheon holds 450-500 litres/~119-132 US gallons, so more than twice the size, with slower/gentler maturation.
ASW out of Atlanta. Love their Duality Double Malt (Rye & Barley), excellent cask strength whiskey, drinks a little like a young Talisker (less peat, more smoke)
Again a really good video. Listening to all this talk about single malt and the celebration of barley got me to thinking about a song recorded by many people about barley. The version I really like is by Tim Van Eyken entitled "Barleycorn." Sorry for going off topic, but it is such a great song and a great grain. Cheers!
Glad to see a Texas whiskey make Kurt's number one spot. A lot of whiskey RU-vid channels like to make a big show of hating on Texas whiskey, Balcones in particular, so this video is refreshing.
Balcones whiskeys do have a very unique flavor profile, can be pretty love-it-or-hate-it. I'm not a huge fan of their rye, although it is super interesting. But the single malts are delicious for my palette.
I want Balcones to come back with that Texas Bock, Shiner colab, they had. I never got to try it. But when I drank beer I loved Shiner Bock and now I drink whiskey.
asm’s have quickly become a go to in my circle, the quality bottles that are already out there is exciting for the future of the catagory. have those westward and balcones bottles on my wish-list next! thanks for sharing the experiences 🤙🏻
Trent… for rums look for El Dorado 12yr and 15yr. Aged in oak barrels. Has the rum aromas with the bourbon flavor and sweet smooth finish. 12yr is around $50 and 15yr is about $90 here in TX when I can find them.
I'll be happy to track down another balcones for ya. They are still around but word is certainly getting out. After I sent you that one, I went and bought a backup.
I've been to liquor stores from Nashville, to Memphis, to Austin, to St Louis, to Chicago, to Milwaukee and lots of places in between. I've seen a lot of Westwards in Illinois, but not so much anywhere else. I imagine they're easy to find West of the Rockies and in a few states in other places. But I definitely haven't seen them "littered" throughout the Midwest. I've picked up two cask strength store picks but have yet to open one. You've got me excited for the day I decide to! Thanks for this video!
Try to find a bottle of Town Branch 11year Cask Strength Kentucky Single Malt. Got it on a trip to the US. Delicious! In Germany we don't get most of the Whiskeys you guys review😄 but still love every single video.
As often as you guys rave about that Westward Cask Strength, I’m convinced enough to pick up a bottle at my local liquor store ($100 here in Portland, ME). Part of me hopes I don’t care for it though, because there are already too many choices for me in the bourbon and scotch categories:).
When I worked in a bookstore I would have people come in regularly who would ask for a book they had heard about, and then refuse to believe the book I showed them was the one they were looking for. I knew I'd seen the McCarthy's black label on shelves here and passed by the white label several times thinking it wasn't peated. Well I finally realized my error and picked one up and enjoy it quite a bit. I really think you'd like the Balcones Peated Single Malt if you like McCarthy's.
I hope you see this, as I was out of the country when you did this one. You need to try Westward Founder's Collection, Ken's Artisan Sourdough. It rocked my world! It is from 2017, so I am not sure you can find it. But, if you guys et to the west coast, particularly Oregon, I still have more than half a bottle in my little collection. Westward ROCKS!
Balcones is all about single malt. They do Bourbon and Rye but they get too oaky in Texas. Single malt is king for Balcones. They use a traditional Scotch barley (golden promise) and pot stills just like Scotland
Poured some of my pinot noir while watching. Been thinking about getting that cask strength since you mentioned it the last time. Yeah, Westward is around on the shelves out here. The distillery tour was really cool as well.
Hey, great video! If you liked that Westward Pinot Noir finish you need to look for a store pick of that bottle at cask strength. Cask strength has way more flavor, especially when you compare them side by side. We found one at a local liquor store and almost bought them out of what was left because we love it so much and are bunkering bottles to last. Also, I saw that Balcones bottle in a store this week and passed on it based on the price, now you have me regretting it! Westward makes a lot of different single malt finishes and I joined their whiskey club just so we could have access to their limited release club bottles.
Awesome to see Trent branching out to malt spirits! I usually line up with Kurt’s palate on spirits but I gotta say I was disappointed with the Westward Pinot Noir. It felt a bit too wine influenced and drying as a result. I liked their regular single malt much better. Would love to see you guys get a Stranahans 10 year or Snowflake sometime
You need to try Aberlour A’Bunadh Single Malt Scotch Whisky , Please love to know what you think. For sure my fav Scotch so far. Bourbon lovers will love it
Balcones #1 Single Malt is in their core line and a repeat buy for me. That single also has many store picks and everyone I’ve tried is the same deliciousness dialed up to 12! Regarding the sulphur note in the Balcones, that tends to show up from the Sherry cask influence.
Being both a bourbon and scotch drinker i am finding my ASM collection growing. A big fan if stranahans, especially cask strength n mountain angel. Just recently picked up the courage and conviction cuvee cask.
KURT!!! This is a great video!!! I LOOOOVE Laphroaig, but was wondering if these American Single Malts have that Brine like an Islay? To me, the Peat is actually sweet, neat or in a cocktail. I need to grab some McCarthy's!!!! CHEERS!!!
Great episode guys. I have been able to find a lot of the Westward offerings in Michigan at our state minimum. I dont think the word has gotten out. I better go buy a few now. Cant believe they are so easy to find in WA. Would 100% support a cask strength Pinot
I just got into bourbon a year ago and haven't expanded much on that, I keep seeing that Westward CS and haven't gotten off my wallet yet because I haven't had any American single malt before. Sounds like that would be a great first one to buy. Thanks for the information and reviews.
You can be a hiker but not a backpacker but not a backpacker w/out being a hiker. Balcones makes good everything. I believe Crowded Barrel (Whisky Tribe guys) recently won an award for their single malt which you may be able to still get on their website. FYI
There’s a MN distillery, J carver, that has two different single malt whiskeys, Etiquette and Trifecta. I quite like them both and I tend to avoid scotch.
