.balcones - staff selection - cask #3549

Balcones whisky in Waco, Texas has released their first Staff Selection bottling. A single barrel from Hungarian oak cask #3549.

62.5% abv, €140, single malt

Nose: at first a very raw corn spirit, sweet, spicy, cumin, cinnamon, a hint of anise, vanilla, nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, coffee, treacle, milk chocolate 

Palate: sweet, corn, spicy, cinnamon, bits of allspice, dry, liquorice root, milk chocolate dipped oranges

Finish: hot, short, dry, laurel, liquorice, milk chocolate
Mark: +++/++ 

Conclusion: very nice, though I expected it to be more of a cracker.

More info: Only 172 bottles have been drawn from this special Hungarian Oak. No specifics on years of maturation though.