Balcones Distilling's Investors Threaten To Dump Founder, Genius Master Distiller, Chip Tate.

Left to right: Winston C. Edwards, Chip Tate, Patrick Donehue, and Noell Michaels
enjoying Balcones Vth Anniversary Crooked Bourbon at LeDu's in New York in better days.

The whisky blogosphere is abuzz with the news that a restraining order has been passed against Chip Tate, master distiller of Balcones, to keep him out of the new 65,000 square food distillery Tate was building in downtown Waco.

Mark Gillespie posted the news on WhiskyCast: http://whiskycast.com/management-standoff-reported-at-balcones/
Chuck Cowdery broke the news on Facebook.  And Clay Risen's Mash Notes put up a blog post too:  http://themashnotes.com/balcones-bust/

All of these notices are based on a piece by Tommy Witherspoon in the Waco Tribune, with colorful details taken out a court document, like Chip apparently wishing he had put a couple of caps into board chief Greg Allen: "'I should have put two in his chest,” referring to shooting Allen after their conversations about Tate’s actions"... A reason why is hinted at in this passage from the Waco Trib piece: “Also in connection to the parties’ disputes, Tate has made statements pointing out how the distillery is full of combustible items and how easy it would be for the distillery to be destroyed by a fire and that it would be better for it to be destroyed than for anyone other than him to run it,” the petition states."
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/business/management-quarrel-threatens-waco-s-popular-balcones-whisky-distillery/article_73ad1ba7-f23a-51f4-8592-afb993e0a001.html

The latter threat strongly implies that Chip was angry that Greg Allen threatened to get rid of him at the helm of Balcones and replace him.  Balcones is Chip Tate's life's work.  The details of the argument may yet come out.  All we have so far is what the Waco Trib scraped from the court documents - and they only tell the board's side.  I would caution everyone not to believe these allegations without some skepticism.  They are part of a legal battle and just because an interested party alleged them doesn't make them necessarily true.  In any case, those are some very strong words, but as Clay Risen wrote yesterday:

"’ll say this: No one who has met him should be surprised that he would say such things, but equally so, no one would expect them to be anything but words. Some people are very passionate about what they do, and they don’t hold back when something gets in the way of their work. Tate is one of those guys."

http://themashnotes.com/balcones-bust/

Mike Rockafellow

Who is Greg Allen?  Greg Scott Allen is the former CEO of Advance Foods of Enid Oklahoma - which merged with Pierre Foods in 2010 to form AdvancePierre under new CEO William Toler.  Advance Foods was originally started by Greg's father, Paul Allen.  His partner in the business was David L. McLaughlin. According to this 2005 article:

http://newsok.com/advance-food-ceo-in-for-the-long-haul-br-greg-allen-expected-short-return-to-family-business/article/2893210/?page=1

"The Allen and McLaughlin families that owned Advance Foods now hold minority stakes in AdvancePierre."

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/print-edition/2010/10/29/advancepierre-heats-up.html?page=all

So Greg Allen, Mark Allen, Paul Allen, and Rob McLaughlin were bought out of their large food processing company and found themselves with capital and spare time.  They picked up Chip Tate's Balcones distillery expansion project - an excellent opportunity.  It appears, however that they are trying to manage Chip Tate like an employee.  Anyone who knows Chip knows that he's an impresario of spirits production.  He's a perfectionist and an artist:  a rare genius prodigy in the field of American whiskey.  He clearly cannot be governed in the usual business way and it's a mistake to try.

Other people involved in the project mentioned in the Balcones' press release announcing the ground breaking of the new distillery (and one other - not mentioned - as found on Linkedin are:)

Mike Rockafellow  Owner, TBC Enterprises, Inc

Keith Bellenger - Chief Operating Officer Balcones

Noell Michaels - Charlottesville VA, formerly of Bold Rock Hard Cider,
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation,
The Maple Ridge Group

and 

Patrick Donehue Oklahoma city Tax Director First United Bank

On Chuck Cowdery's FaceBook post the reaction from the Craft distilling world and whiskey enthusiasts was predictably pro-Chip.  Jackie Summers, the creator of the hibiscus and spice tincture Sorel opened the comments simply with "NO CHIP = NO BALCONES."

Dozens of others said similar things.  Late in the evening I amplified, writing:  "I, too, stand with Chip. Chip is the heart and soul of not just Balcones but everything that is right about Craft distilling. No one sweats every detail and works so hard to produce fine art in the mash, barrel, bottle and glass. I know Chip bent over backwards to arrange a deal where it was clear, up front, that things would be done HIS way. The investors need to get out of the way and let him lead. I told Noell Michaels and Pat Donahue as much last time I saw them. Get on board and let the Chip express run free. That's the only way the investors will reap their reward. Did the Pope lock Michelangelo out of the Sistine Chapel when the ceiling was half finished? Chip is making art. Let the Artist create!

...sorry if I'm over the top... I've been drinking excellent whisky tonight and the news is devastating. I've been counting on this project to bring sweet Balcones juice to my cabinet and America's. This isn't just about my pining desire for Rumble Cask Reserve, Brimstone, True Blue, and Texas Single Malt... but also about America's need to drink this true Texas nectar. This is about patriotism, Goddamnit!"

I remember when Chip was setting up the deal with the investors.  We had a couple of phone conversations.  Chip was very careful and didn't say much, but he emphasized that he was looking for a group who would let him lead the project with minimal interference.  Chip intensely valued his independence and ability to operate Balcones his way.  But, like other small businesses gripped with sudden success, he lacked the capital to adequately grow.  This is particularly true in whisky distilling because the capital needs of building a new distillery are so steep and the time to recoup so long.  Clearly there's been a breakdown in communication here and that's a shame.  I know this is a situation that Chip feared even before the deal was struck.

Chip talked personally with me about trying to find the "right group" of investors who wouldn't try to take over the company or push him into doing things in a way that he didn't think was best. Somewhere in this mess there was a difference of opinion about how Balcones was to be set up and Chip's worst fear was realized. Then his angry reaction ended up in court papers.  I KNOW this didn't stem from a lack of clarity on Chips part going in.

Chip Tate isn't just a distiller.  He's a genius who builds his own stills, develops completely new mash bills and ground breaking unique products.  As I once wrote: Chip Tate is a "Mad Geeky Genius".

No matter what the actual details of the legal proceeding and arguments actually are, it's crystal clear that Chip Tate is the heart and essence of Balcones and the investors would do well to put aside their pride and understand that Chip Tate, like Michaelangelo is a great artist that needs latitude.  Posterity will not remember Tate's business meeting attendance even if he has been hotheaded and tempermental.  It will remember whether America's top Craft whiskey's expansion project succeeds or fails.  This needs to get resolved and they need to patch it up with Chip because the project can't be done right by anyone else.

Previous articles about Chip Tate and Balcones whiskies on The Coopered Tot:

Chip Tate's Mad Geeky Genius   http://www.cooperedtot.com/2012/09/chip-tate-mad-geeky-genius.html

The Illuminating and Unsung Batch Evolution of Balcones Texas Single Malt   http://www.cooperedtot.com/2013/09/the-illuminating-and-unsung-batch.html

Tasting special unreleased casks of Balcones with Chip Tate and AllisonPatel at The Brandy Library   http://www.cooperedtot.com/2012/07/tasting-special-unreleased-casks-of.html

Balcones True Blue - a floral citrus blue corn eau-de-vie with kicking dusty Texas terroir.   http://www.cooperedtot.com/2012/05/balcones-true-blue-floral-citrus-blue.html

Smoked Whisky: Balcones Brimstone and Corsair Triple Smoke   http://www.cooperedtot.com/2012/03/smoked-whisky.html

Rumble Cask Reserve is a delicious rarity that defies categorization   http://www.cooperedtot.com/2012/07/rumble-cask-reserve-is-delicious-rarity.html


Update:  The court papers relating to the restraining order are posted and analyzed on the blog whisky-file.com here:

http://whisky-file.com/2014/09/10/heres-the-balcones-lawsuit-court-documents/

The Illuminating and Unsung Batch Evolution of Balcones Texas Single Malt

Creative wood finishes affect color. Ex-bourbon, left, is copper.  Q.Robur, center, is red. And Q. Alba, right, is golden amber.

Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky has been racking up awards and accolades left and right since its introduction in July of 2011.  A partial list includes:

• Double Gold (best single malt & best whisk(e)y) at the 2011 New York World Wine & Spirits, 
• Double Gold again at the 2012 San Francisco World Wine & Spirits, 
• Chairman's Trophy at the 2012 Ultimate Beverage Challenge, 
• Best in Category at the 2012 American Distilling Institute Awards, and 
• Silver at the Wizards of Whisky Awards in London.  

But the one that really impressed me; the one that counted WAY more to me than all those namby-pamby industry awards was the award given by actual top flight whisky bloggers Neil Ridley and Joel Harrison of one of my favorite whisky blogs: caskstrength.blogspot.com.  In 2012, in their 6th annual "Best In Glass" awards, they put Texas Single Malt up against the finalists of their broad survey - a group including some of the best from top names like Macallan, Johnny Walker, Glenmorangie, Cutty Sark, Nikka, Kilchoman, and Teelings - as judged by a panel of 11 of the top blenders, journalists, and major buyers; all people who really know their stuff.  The Texas Single Malt beat them all.  They conclude:  "A mighty whisky..."  The accolades don't stop with the awards either.  The blogosphere has reached unusual consensus.  Texas Single Malt has been widely lauded in numerous whisky blogs around the world - in posts dating from 2011 to the current day. It has a creamy vanilla sweetness that leads into a rich malty caramel quality and a powerful charred oaky hit at the tail that positions this malt somewhere between a bourbon's new charred oak flavor and a Scottish malt's delicate sweetness.  The robust flavors, helped by generous proof, and rich charred oak help communicate the American - and Western - provenance.  The rich caramel malt flavors and vanilla sweetness put you squarely in malt territory.  It's, frankly, delicious.  

Six different expressions of Balcones Texas Single Malt reviewed.

(warning - major whisky geekery ahead...)

However, there has been absolute silence concerning the issue of batch variation in this landmark craft distilling product - of which there has been a substantial degree.  This is particularly surprising considering that Texas Single Malt hasn't been experiencing conventional batch variation so much as a dramatic and deliberate batch EVOLUTION - with significant changes in bottling proof and wood management.  Here's what I'm talking about.  The following table lists different batches by batch number, % alcohol by volume, and the type of wood used in the initial small barrel and subsequent large barrel maturation.  

Batch % abv      Wood-5 gal barrels   Wood-60 gal. barrels
SM11-2 51.0% abv Yard aged white oak  Yard aged white oak

SM12-4 50.5% abv Yard aged white oak  Yard aged white oak

SM12-6 52.0% abv Yard aged white oak  Ex-bourbon

SM12-7 53.0% abv Yard aged white oak  Yard aged white oak

Cask 2417  Yard aged white oak  E. European (Q.Robur)

SM12-8 53.0% abv Yard aged white oak  E. European

SM13-3 53.0% abv Yard aged white oak  Yard aged white oak)

Let me explain in greater detail.  Texas Single Malt is initially aged in 20 Liter (roughly 5 gallon) bespoke barrels made of Balcones' Master Distiller Chip Tate's carefully prepared yard aged white oak seasoned for 2-3 years in Missouri where it can freeze over the winter.  After a period of initial maturation, the small barrels are dumped into larger 200 liter (53 gallon) or 225 liter (60 gallon) barrels for batch marrying and final maturation.  These second or "finishing" barrels are made of various different woods.  The majority of batches use the same Quercus Alba - custom yard aged American white oak as the small barrels.  However some batches used custom yard aged Eastern European oak, Quercus Robur - which added spice and gave the whiskies a red color.  At least one other batch used 53 gallon ex-bourbon barrels from Wild Turkey for the finishing / marrying maturation period.  Furthermore the proof climbed from 50.5% abv (101 proof) to the current 53% (106 proof).  The tale of the shifting proof can be seen in the printing on the case boxes - such as this one spotted in the loading area of Park Avenue Liquors in NYC:  What's that down at the bottom?  Take a closer look:  

Yes - apparently batch 12-3 was 105.8 proof and batch 12-7 had increased that to 106 proof.  Chip confirms that the 92 proof on the printing was never made - just an idea that fell by the wayside when palate testing dictated a stronger proof.

This diversity of proofs and wood management represents a searching for optimization in the expression.  Let me be clear: all of these versions of Texas Single Malt are quite similar to each other.  There is a real unity to the various batches in this expression, despite this tinkering with various parameters which may be why this topic has escaped mention until now.  Furthermore, the period of experimentation is now over.  The results are in and Chip and company have decided on a final and permanent configuration - as represented by a change in the labeling since batch SM12-9 as you will see below.  Despite the great similarity of these batches, however, the wood finishes add a detectable aromatic overtone to the distillate.  The experimentation in finishes is real and apparent to the palate and nose, particularly once you know what to look for.  What follows is a set of tasting notes and a concluding argument about what this represents in the wider context of American Craft Distilling.

1) Batch 12-4: 50.5% abv. All yard aged American oak:

Batch 12-4 labels: 'yard-aged American oak.' 50.5% abv hand written

Color: Light amber with coppery glints.

Nose: honeyed citrus, vanilla florals, burned spun sugar, charred oak.

Caramelized powdered sugar, big creamy sweet vanilla, and a ton of tangy citrus explode on the palate's opening.  The mid palate blooms with rich malt, tons of bourbon-like charred oak with plenty of sandalwood filigree, and a melding of the sugars and citrus tang.  The turn to the finish is gentle with fading muted malts, and an easy toffee fade. The finish itself is gentle and even easier.  It drops you off softly and leaves you with a kiss of caramel in your mouth. 

*****

I found this particular array of flavors extremely seductive and after I tasted the subsequent varieties I decided this was my favorite and I put away a couple.  They didn't last.  Recently I cracked the last one for a VIP visitor:  Michael Kravitz, blogger of Diving For Pearls who wrote about it in his post describing our meeting.  

2) Batch 12-6 52% abv. Yard aged oak with an Ex bourbon barrel finish:

Batch 12-6 ups the proof to 52% and adds Ex bourbon barrel to the finish.

Color: Medium amber with golden glints:

The nose is noticeably drier with an earthy loamy musty quality - almost of young leather.  There are old papers and musty funk in the nose - in the place of the more exhuberant sugary sweet cream and char of the 12-4's nose.

The palate is drier too, with more oak spice in the expansion and more spicy burn in the finish.  It's a very relative the thing.  The opening is still richly sweet with plenty of vanilla sugars.  But the citrus is muted under the leathery loamy musty quality and the oak notes - already prominent - are amped up further.   This is my least favorite batch.  The barrels used formerly held Wild Turkey bourbon.

****

3) Batch 12-7 53% abv. - all yard aged American white oak.

Color: Light golden amber.

Nose: Gentle vanilla cream with floral esters. A regal and Scotch-like gentle citrus tang melds with the floral vanilla and musk and oak. The confluence of floral sweet, jammy citrus and oak perfume.

The palate entry is intensely sweet with powdered confectioner's sugar with an effusive explosion of vanilla and camellia floral notes. The mid palate expansion has a glow of spirit heat with white pepper and the emergence of gentle oak tannin. Butter toffee Maillard reaction caramel notes join with the fading sugars and emerging oak spice on the turn to the finish. The finish is malty sweet with tannin squeak and herbal bitter. Just lovely. It's a clear malt whisky with the intense powder sweet entry so characteristic of Balcones and a big big flavor amplitude with aggressive wood spice and citrus notes that read a bit of bourbon. Very much like the 12-4 - but takes it a bit further with higher proof and a leaner, sharper, and more elegant (if a tad less lush) presentation.

*****

Balcones Brand Ambassador Winston Churchill Edwards explained to me that from 12-7 onwards, the proof was standardized at 53% abv.

4) Experimental cask 2417, proof not stated, Quercus Robur Eastern European oak maturation.  Aged in an Eastern European oak wood with a unique flavor profile, Quercus Robur, for 6 months and for about 8 months to a year in American White Oak.  This was one of the experimental casks that Chip brought to New York in Spring and Summer of 2012 and I had the opportunity to try and to take a sample.   It shows the evolution in Chip's thinking - that led to the Quercus Robur finished Texas Single Malt batch 12-8 that follows.   Color: rich reddish amber

Nose: Vanilla pods, sandalwood, solvent, a wisp of meaty parma ham, some soft apricot/citrus cognac-like citrus. A very refined and complex nose that tends towards a floral version of a bourbon presentation rather than a classic malt nose.

Quercus Rober European oak adds reddish color

Palate: Rich confectioner's sugar sweet on entry with floral vanilla and vanilla butter cream icing trending into a rich apricot citrus fruit compote at the end of the entry. The mid-palate arrives with a potent expansion bringing a major palate shift to filigreed oak sandalwood perfume and cinnamon-like heat from oak spiciness. The finish is lingering with the slow burn of the Quercus Robur's heat, oak tannin, and a bit of herbal bitter like hops. Big and sweet, with enormous flavor amplitude, but a refined and complex flavor mix with some major shifts and complexities as it moves across the palate. It's wasn't finished at time time I took the sample I'm re-tasting tonight, but already it's one of the finest American craft spirits I've ever tasted.

*****

5) Batch 12-8 53% abv - with an Eastern European Oak (Q. Robur) finish:

Color: rich reddish amber, a near twin to the cask 2417 - perhaps a tad less red and more amber.

Nose: richer and broader than the 2417, but the rancio pointed cognac-like citrus aspect that is the distinct aroma signature of Q. Robur's addition is clearly in evidence.

The palate has the vanilla florals, toffee caramel, and rich charred oak of "regular" Texas Single Malt - but now there is a thread of the citrus rancio flavor like a fine cognac and the fierce cinnamon clove heat  of the exotic oak.  It's a rich flavor experience - very very good and quite different from the white oak Texas Single Malt varieties primarily because of the spicy heat.  It's the "Spice Tree" variety.  FYI - Oliver Klimek of Dramming recently reviewed this batch and writes a rich and evocative set of tasting notes that really outclasses mine:

"Nose: Dark caramel, resiny pine wood, fried banana, candied lemon, vanilla, cloves and nutmeg, hints of eucalyptus.Palate: Nutty fudge, burnt sugar, chestnut honey, just hints of lemon zest and banana, a rich mix of wood spices .
Finish: Medium long, spicy and slightly sweet.
Overall: Quite an unusual flavour profile here with strong emphasis on wood (in a good way)"

http://www.dramming.com/2013/08/28/balcones-texas-single-malt-batch-sm-8-12/

But then, despite his description of the Finish as "Medium long, spicy and slightly sweet" concludes, somewhat confusingly " It’s a very nice whisky overall, apart from the slightly shortish finish." and gives it an 84.

[On twitter the morning after this posted Oliver Klimek explained  "Medium long" is shortish compared to long which I consider standard. I expect a long finish, it's important for me. So "medium long" is too short to be really enjoyable."  This explains it to my satisfaction.  The finish on all the Texas Single Malts is gentle - which I enjoy, personally.  I'm certainly not going to quibble with Klimek's score.  I wager 84 is the among the highest that toughie has ever given for an American craft whisky...]

I found this elegantly cognac-like and richly spicy variety of Texas Single Malt elegant, delicious, and seductive.  It's a very different dram that the sunny, open, lush and juicy 12-4 - and really gives it run for its money in my opinion.

*****

6) Batch 13-3 53% abv - all yard aged American oak.  

This new batch is represents the end of the evolution with the new label that no longer has a space for notes on the wood management and the printed (no longer hand written) 53% abv. statement on the front label.  This is a testament to the finality with which 53% is now the proof of Texas Single Malt and Yard Aged White Oak is the wood of choice for both phases of maturation.  Henceforth only the batch number and date will be recorded.

[The morning after this posted Dustin Slater @redbeartx tweeted pics of his bottled of batch SM12-10 bottled 12-13-12 which has the updated labels with no space for the wood finish on the rear label and the 53% printed, not written, on the front label.  So batch SM12-10 (and possibly 12-9) NOT 13-3, is actually the batch that "represents the end of the evolution".  Thanks, Dustin.]

[Winston Churchill Edwards, Balcones BA @BalconesWinston, further added:  "The proof was standardized at 12-8. In print at 12-9."]

The notes on 13-3 are nearly identical to those for 12-7.  Tasting them side to side there is hardly anything to distinguish them by.  The nose has added a bit of waxy estery quality - just a hint.  The sugars of the opening are intensified over 12-4 - probably by the additional 5 proof - yielding a leaner more lithe and elegant presentation.  There are aspects of high end rum weaving in among the rich malt and bourbon flavors in the form of turbinado sugars with the maillard reaction browning of oxidizing cane.  Creamy vanilla, toffee, citrus, baking spices, rich oak - we're hitting all the flavor elements that made batch 12-4 a stand out but with added intensity, elegance, and drive.  Batch 13-3, like 12-7 before it, take the flavor signature of Texas Single malt to a new level.  Again.  Big and brown, Batch 13-3 takes it a tad further in the finish.  The browned sugars and butter start trending into an almost cocoa flavor among the burnt spun sugars.

Ultimately though - so what?  So, Chip monkeyed around with the Texas Single Malt a bit in 2012 and nobody noticed.  Why am I making a fuss here?  I discussed this issue with the Balcones Brand Ambassador Winston Churchill Edwards, who acted distinctly like he'd rather I didn't bother writing this story.  He was more interested in emphasizing the common elements - the unity - of the brand.

The American Craft whisky movement is alternately reviled and celebrated. When it's being reviled the usual complaints go something like this:  "Craft distillers are rank beginners who don't know what they are doing. You don't just go up against the centuries of hard won experience of traditional distillers and suddenly do it better".  When it's being celebrated there is talk of creativity and thinking outside the box.  In the critical press and blogosphere there is plenty of acknowledgement that a lot of craft whiskies frankly just don't taste that amazing - even if they are conceptually interesting or are exploring important new ground.

Balcones Texas Malt is an exception.  Not only is it delicious, but this process of tinkering is a testament to Chip pushing to improve a product that is already very good.  It shows a level of perfectionism and craftsmanship that belies the negative stereotypes of American Craft Distilling.  This really isn't much of a surprise.  Good whisky is seldom an accident.  Hard work are care are required. The kind of thought, care and relentless experimentation that made Texas Malt good to begin with has driven Chip to make it even better now.  The fact that Batch 13-3, the one that ushers in permanent labels, tastes the best is more evidence that Chip Tate has deliberately crafted this improvement on purpose.

Chuck Cowdery's column in the Whiskey Advocate's Fall 2013 issue (page 33) ends with a paragraph that reads:

"All this is not to say that there are no American-made single malts.  There are several, like the ones from Balcones (Texas), McCarthy's (Oregon), and Wasmund's (Virginia). [and I would add Stranahan's (Colorado) and Tuthilltown Hudson (New York)].  They're all aged but nobody wants to talk about how long.  They're rarely compared to scotch, which may be the point.  These distillers show it is possible to make a successful malt whiskey within the American regulatory framework."

Balcones Texas Single Malt is a NAS product. Chip doesn't say how old it is, but given the time line of the distillery it must be well younger than 4 years and may be younger than 2.

But that misses the point here.  Texas Single Malt is uniquely American.  It has a flavor signature like no other malt whisky - and it's a darned good one.  It's one that has won me over, personally (not that I've stopped drinking and exploring the world of Scotch malt whiskies - not by a long shot.  But it has become one of my regular drams for sure).  And it's a flavor signature that has won over a whole ton of whisky award people, critics, buyers, and bloggers too.  This isn't just a matter of "localvore" market making or novelty.  It's a testament to the effort that Chip Tate has put in honing his single malt - effort that is visible in the evolution through the batches of 2011-2012. That's why I find this series of batches so fascinating and that's why I've taken you on this long road.  Texas Single Malt is a standout malt - and it has been relentlessly honed and crafted.  In my opinion that fact alone redeems the American craft whisky movement.

If you have information about other batches not mentioned in this post - please comment in with batch numbers, abv % (unless it's 12-7 or after, in which case it's known to be standardized at 53%), and the woods listed on the label.  I'm aware that I'm presenting a partial list.  Thanks so much.  FYI - I have also previously tasted batch SM11-7 and wrote some brief tasting notes in my post about Whisky Live 2012.  I don't have the proof - but it was clearly a white oak version in the low 50s.

Provenance statement:  (Samples of cask 1217 and batch 12-7 poured for me by Chip Tate of Balcones during a private interview.  All other samples taken from full bottles I purchased from local stores.) 

Chip Tate's Mad Geeky Genius

Chip's "Rock Star" case.

Chip has brought his current thinking.

Balcones Distillery is doing wonderful work lately. Its core expressions of Baby Blue, True Blue, Brimstone, Texas Whisky, Rumble, and Rumble Cask Reserve are among the best craft spirits being made in the vibrant and effusive US craft whisky movement. It's a group of spirits marked by tremendous innovation in terms of mash bill, barrel management, and production methods. More importantly, it's a group of spirits with a shocking level of maturity and refinement given their young bottling age.

I had a wonderful opportunity to meet with Chip Tate of Balcones Distillery this last weekend and, as Chip calls it "Geek out" about whisky. "Geeking out" means getting into the technical details of the artistry of whisky making - including the empirical science behind some of the concepts. For example I asked about the design of Balcone's famous hand made copper pot stills and what criteria he used. Chip said he did a mathematical analysis: to determine turbulence versus laminar flow he calculated the Reynold's number for the shapes he was considering. We discussed flavors and the chemistry behind them. For example while tasting a fine craft East Coast bourbon from a different distiller (Geeking out involves drinking a range of interesting spirits and discussing them) I commented on an acetone flavor note. Chip identified this note - often found in Bourbon - as Ethyl Acetate, a primary esther composed by the chemical bonding of acohol plus organic acids. The acetate from acetic acid and ethyl from ethyl alcohol. And while every Bourbon has Ethyl Acetate to some extent - the degree to which is appears emphasized has to do with the richness of other flavor compounds to balance it. The conversation ranged over other chemical compounds which appear as flavor components. For example: Butric Acid (a sort of baby puke note in some bourbons), Acetic Acid, (the vinegar in bourbon). Or Nitrosamines with a characteristic flavor formed of sulfur and peat combined via heating.

"Geeking out" tasting session (partial view)

I asked about water and Chip made clear that Balcones uses filtered municipal water prior to distillation and Spring water post distillation. We talked yeast and Chip discussed how careful yeast selection at Balcones gives stonefruit, peach, ripe pineapple and banana notes. The discussion of yeast lead to a discussion of the life and work of Jean De Clerck - Belgian brewer scientist / monk.

Allison Patel & Chip Tate

Following Chip in a conversation like this is dizzying and exhilarating. Allison Patel, The Whisky Woman (who works with Chip as a brand ambassador as one of her many hats), had warned me to bring a notepad when hanging out with Chip. Man, she wasn't kidding.

We discussed barrel management and rapid maturation. The use of small barrels is a big trend in craft distilling that has become a controversial topic lately. Buffalo Trace released the results of an experiment with small barrels where they found the spirit over oaked and declared small barrels a failure. Chuck Cowdery wrote an article which he expanded into a book reiterating the argument and concludes that rapid maturation tricks can make interesting spirits, but not good bourbon. In the book he looks at some (not any Balcones products however) and damns them with faint praise. Others, such as In With Baccus, have ridiculed the experiment as so obviously flawed that its clear intent is marketing against craft distillers (read it by following the link immediately above - it's hilarious). Balcones uses small 20 liter (5 gallon) yard aged white oak casks to accelerate wood extraction. The yard aged part is important because kiln drying harshes the wood. Yard aged wood has more sweetness of the wood sugar left in the wood - and this shows clearly all over the Balcones line. Small barrels such as these are, according to Chip, hard to use. He likens managing maturation in them to "trying to gently and carefully cook a steak on an extremely hot fire. You have to pay attention or they'll burn". Among the really exciting things Chip is doing is empirically testing the differences in flavor in maturation in small barrels versus large barrels. The differences are apparent, but are are far smaller than you might believe (tasting notes below). Balcones succeeds in making very polished finished spirits using small barrels which appears to blow the argument out of the water - but to be fair to Cowdery, nothing Chip makes is quite "Bourbon" in either the legal or traditional sense. What Chip is doing is unique to Balcones.

Chip uses both small 5 gallon and large 60 gallon barrels in his production process, but he uses special yard aged American white oak casks that have been exposed to freezing cycles in Missouri winters to condition the wood. A number of the experiments that Chip is currently doing involve bespoke barrels with special woods to achieve special flavor signatures. Among casks aging now are ones made of a spicy Eastern European oak, Quercus Robur. In the future, Chip informed me, watch for Texas Live Oak bespoke casks. Staves of this wild wood that has never been used for whisky production are yard drying on the roof of the distillery in Waco and will be transported by car roof to Reynold's cooperage in Missouri where winter freezes and strong seasonal changes can properly cure the wood according to Tate's specifications.

Chip is a fertile intellect, and has thought, researched, and calculated intensively in building his stills, developing his barrel management techniques, and honing his mash bills and expressions. As I quickly discovered, Chip hasn't stopped or even slowed down in any of these domains. He is continuing to experiment with materials and tweaks to his existing expressions and he is ambitiously developing new ones. On this trip to New York, Chip brought a rockstar roadie's custom travel case loaded with bottles of samples from single casks selected for awesome flavors, and examples of in-process experiments which illustrate his thought and creative process. Chip has been traversing the country doing this. In fact, I posted about his previous trip to New York back in June where he poured many of these special experiments and selected casks. Chip is a scientist, and he's an artist too. But he doesn't seem to have an insecure bone in his body and he doesn't suffer from the "you can't see it til it's finished" affliction of some artists. Among the things he brought was a bottle of his new rum experiment - just under a scant 2 months old. All over town Chip poured this for everyone - eager for feedback. The immature rum is incredible, BTW. A nose full of buttered toffeed popcorn, intense confectioner's sugar on the entry and a lush mid palate bloom of Maillard reaction butter-cream-cane-sugar caramel cooking in the pan.

Dark red color of Q. Robur in SM2417

I think part of the reason Chip is so easy pouring with this very young experimental liquor is that it's good and he's proud of it. But another part of it is that Chip is evangelizing why it's good. It's no accident that Balcones spirits taste so good so young. It's no accident that they have big bright sweet openings full of confectioner's powdered sugar - seemingly no matter what's in the mash. It's no accident that so many are loaded with rich oak vanilla flavors and oak perfume and incense filigree at an age that many other distillery's products are weak, insipid, rough and raw. Chip wants to explain, scientifically, to you why it's no accident - but even more he wants to show you, empirically. My experience Saturday showed me that Chip has a scientific rationale for each phase of the process and is deliberately crafting his spirits to hit a flavor profile he desires. My first instinct is to look for holes in a any attempt at applied science in such a complex topic. There were moments (particularly when the conversation was going over my head) when I wondered to myself whether maybe Chip might be a fast talking con man. Yet, the proof is in the glass and Balcones has achieved extraordinary success. I'm not just talking about awards (of which there have been many - including Gold at SF and the first Icons of Whisky in the category of Craft Distillery) . I'm talking about the unmistakable presence of a clear house style to Balcones' products - a sense of balance and a flavor signature that spans disparate mash bills. Even more convincing there is a progression over time. What I'm tasting in these new special casks and experiments is a movement towards greater refinement and even greater fidelity to Chip's aesthetic and vision. In a nut shell, and very broadly, the house flavor signature of Balcones runs something like this: a nice nose but the main action is on the palate where you always get a sweet and explosive opening with a powdered confectioner's sugar palate entry and plenty of vanilla floral notes. The mid-palate expansion is richly flavored with the aspects of whatever is in the mash, but is generally off-dry. This balances the sweet of the entry. This is where the august quality comes in - where the best Balcones spirits drink like high end cognac or top tier Scotch. The finish has plenty of oak, with sandalwood incense perfume and sometimes the full blown patchouli you see in Cognac.

The fact that Chip regularly gets this flavor profile and is getting it more and more dialed in as he hones his craft proves, to me, that his science is real. A con man can fake out your mind, but not your palate. What's happening in the glass here is incredible and real. The fact that he achieves all this with spirits that are under 3 years old in the wood shows me that, in addition to being an artist and a scientist, he is, effectively, a genius.

There is a huge expansion going on all over the whisky world with new distilleries popping up. Joanne McInnis recently posted a moving blog post about personal growth, people following their dreams founding distilleries, and making young vibrant spirits worth drinking. The article is, in particular, a review of Mackmyra The First, but other young whiskies such as Kilkerran, Kilchoman, and Penderyn are mentioned. Balcones is a worthy example of a new distillery doing great things with young spirits - and is part of a larger trend in the whisky world in this direction. But the rapid maturation results Chip is getting are way beyond those examples. Only such tropical high heat rapid maturation paragons as Amrut and Kavalan are in this league and Balcones deserves to be mentioned in the same breath.

As part of our "geek out" session we did some dramming of various specially selected casks.

European Oak Texas Malt Cask 2417

Aged in an Eastern European oak wood with a unique flavor profile, Quercus Robur, for 6 months and for about 8 months to a year in American White Oak.

Color: rich reddish amber

Nose: Vanilla pods, sandalwood, solvent, a wisp of meaty parma ham, some soft apricot/citrus cognac-like citrus. A very refined and complex nose that tends towards a floral version of a bourbon presentation rather than a classic malt nose.

Quercus Rober European oak adds reddish color

Palate: Rich confectioner's sugar sweet on entry with floral vanilla and vanilla butter cream icing trending into a rich apricot citrus fruit compote at the end of the entry. The mid-palate arrives with a potent expansion bringing a major palate shift to filigreed oak sandalwood perfume and cinnamon-like heat from oak spiciness. The finish is lingering with the slow burn of the Quercus Robur's heat, oak tannins, and a bit of herbal bitter like hops. Big and sweet, with enormous flavor amplitude, but a refined and complex flavor mix with some major shifts and complexities as it moves across the palate. It's not finished yet, but already it's one of the finest American craft spirits I've ever tasted.

*****

Texas Malt SM12-7 - yard aged American oak 53% abv

(Alone among these tasting notes this is a regular expression available in stores - thus it is the only one a proper alcohol by volume percentage has been officially determined and listed.)

Color: Light golden amber

Nose: Gentle vanilla cream with floral esters. A regal and Scotch-like gentle citrus tang melds with the floral vanilla and musk and oak. The confluence of floral sweet, jammy citrus and oak perfume puts me in the mind of mature Glenrothes or Mortlach.

Palate entry is intensely sweet with powdered confectioner's sugar with an effusive explosion of vanilla and camellia floral notes. The mid palate expansion has a glow of spirit heat with white pepper and the emergence of gentle oak tannins. Butter toffee Maillard reaction caramel notes join with the fading sugars and emerging oak spice on the turn to the finish. The finish is malty sweet with tannin squeak and herbal bitter. Just lovely. It's a clear malt whisky with the floral deftness of Scotches in the 10-15 year age range, but also the intense powder sweet entry so characteristic of Balcones and a big big flavor amplitude with aggressive wood spice and citrus notes that read a bit of bourbon. This is a unique flavor profile that is completely American and utterly Balcones.

*****

True Blue Cask 1613

Less an experiment than just a really awesome barrel. I have a note here that says "Lactic Corn"

Color: Rich amber with henna tints

Nose: traces of acetone waft above a richly honeyed deep plum and nectarine fruit compote with complex oak perfume and mixed baking spices. The oak perfume is mostly sandalwood and hatbox wood, but there is some pure Indian incense sticks going on too.

The palate entry is utterly explosive with the highest amplitude confectioner's sugar (except perhaps for Cask 1200). But it's not just the powder sweet here. It's the sweet in a big rich complex matrix of vanilla, earthy blue corn notes, orchid florals and herbal notes. The midpalate expansion brings heat and spice and a new fruit essence to the sweetness it's a sweet and earthy fruity note. It's a bit hard to place so vivid - but it's blue corn all the way. It has a rancio-like cheese rind quality in the waning of the sweet that reads as august and majestic haute cuisine to me. True Blue is true to its nature. It is blue corn - true and through and through. At the turn the oak imposes itself as a pure incense influence. At the turn to the finish the sweet waxes into an herbal bitterness of anise, malt. But these are all facets of the blue corn flavor - reflecting around the intense concentration of flavor elements that marks this remarkable cask.

Just titanic amplitude. Sweet, complex incense notes, spice, wood, heat and tannins. It hits hugely on all cylinders. This is an American classic. Totally original and utterly delicious.

*****

Rumble Cask Reserve 1348 - an extra matured cask

In Rumble Cask Reserve, Rumble (fermented honey, turbinado sugar, and figs) new make is aged in 20 liter barrels and then blended to large barrels to finish maturation. This particular cask has received extra maturation.

Color: lovely amber with golden and reddish glints.

Nose: floral orchids, lillies, and iris with jammy citrus apricot / orange. There is oak influence, but more mellow and relaxed than the usual Rumble Cask Reserve.

Palate: Entry, big powder sugar, with some regal herbal bitters. Regal citrus apricot fruits in an off-dry presentation. Musky, Texas dust flavors at the mid-palate expansion along with spirit heat white pepper. At the turn to the finish the sweetness fades and anise, and cherry malt slowly surface. This is clearly Rumble Cask Reserve in every detail. The additional maturation adds a roundness and a polish. This provides a peek at what old Rumble Cask Reserve may taste like in the future.

Brimstone Cask 1200 - The "Burned Barrel"

The Burned Barrel was here too. We didn't taste it that day - but did the following night at a special dinner (a post yet to be written). Brimstone 1200 is perhaps the richest and most astounding flavor in an American Craft spirit, and, with the exception of Stagg & Weller from the BTAC, perhaps in all of sprits.

Color: dark ruddy copper
Nose: Cognac caramel and chaparral char: Putty, mesquite char, citrus, apricot, intense sweet.

On the palate 1200 is all the huge powder, dust, ash and chaparral smoke glory of regular Brimstone, but with dramatically richer caramel sweet, bigger amplitude of flavor, and a massively complex sandalwood incense on the finish that lasts and lasts.

*****

1442 Large Barrel Blue Corn experiment

True Blue Cask 1442 Large Barrel Blue Corn experiment.

True & Baby Blue's 100% blue corn mash bill distillate are normally aged in small (5 gallon) barrels and then vatted into larger (60 gallon) barrels for barrel averaging to make a batch. This barrel was aged in a large barrel from day 1. The new make went right into the large barrel in the manner of most mainstream bourbon. While the flavors are a bit rounder and less intense - they are exactly same flavors as regular True Blue. The main effect seems to be the rate of maturation, not the manner, degree, or specific flavor signature at all. This experiment contradicts the received "wisdom" of a "small barrel flavor signature". It doesn't exist in this empirical experiment. Likely it doesn't exist at all - but emerges out of people mishandling the rapid maturation rate of small barrels.

Conclusions: In a nut shell, Chip is a genius. He is a genius because he achieves excellent refinement and maturity in very young spirits using empirical and creative thinking in every phase of whisky production. He's a genius because he proves the artistry of his intent in the common flavor signatures of all these spirits across a wide range of mash bills. He's a genius because the flavors are becoming more and more magnificent with time as he hones his techniques and takes things further. If you had any doubts about Balcones being a distillery to watch, dispel them now and start figuring out a way to get to taste these innovative and excellent American craft spirits.

Rumble Cask Reserve is a delicious rarity that defies categorization

Balcones Distilling, the Craft Whisky Distiller of the Year Icons of Whisky award winner for 2012, makes a fascinating spirit called Rumble which is distilled from a mash of Texas wildflower honey, mission figs, and sugar, sold at 47% abv. It has won a number of awards, including Silver at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2010.  It is a delicious and exciting new spirit category.  What the heck is it really?  It's not a rum, or a mead, or a fruit eau de vie.  It's somewhere between all of those things.  For excellent tasting notes on Rumble and a characteristically amusing profile of the distillery, read the excellent post in top British whisky blog Cask Strength.

Balcones also makes a near cask strength version of Rumble which is aged for longer called Rumble Cask Reserve.  I've tried this stuff a couple of times already.  I had a nip at Whisky Live NY and was very impressed.  That might actually be an understatement.  Tasting Rumble Cask Reserve was actually more of a "conversion moment" when I came to understand that Balcones was making spirits on an elevated level and that Chip Tate was something of a genius.  He's a great guy, by the way, who loves to discuss the finer points.  "Geeking out", he likes to say.

When I attended a special tasting night at the Brandy Library in honor of the imminent distribution of Rumble Cask Reserve, I enjoyed another glass of Rumble Cask Reserve - further confirming my impression - and master distiller Chip Tate generously gave me the remains of a bottle for formal review.  The bottle yielded a 2 oz sample (seen at upper left).

A couple of points about the bottling.  There are reported to be only 320 bottles available world-wide.  The hand written label bears this out.  Notice the hand writing (which is not printed, I can attest) on the back of the label giving the batch and bottling date:

 

And even the alcohol by volume statement is hand written as well:

 

Rumble Cask Reserve 58.1% abv  Batch: RCR-12-1 Bottled 5/3/12

Color: Medium amber - bronze with copper & gold glints.  Beautiful and appetizing.

Nose: Subtle and subdued aromas of fig, mead, lemon-apricot citric acids, roses and irises. Adding a few drops of water releases a flurry of wine notes which burn off in 15 minutes or so leaving a growing aroma of vanilla, along with the soft fruit acids of fig, mead-like honey iris and oak.

The entry is surprising in its rich intensity after the gentle nose - honeyed and sweet with heathery floral sugars, citrus acids and a lovely silky viscosity. Mid palate is potent as spirit heat and spicy oak influence impact with a drying leanness. As this expansion fades vanilla sweetness wells up from the opening - redolent of rum raisin, Spanish dried fig cake and a mesquite note of Texas scrubland - "Chaparral" dust. There are savory notes in here as well, not meaty but musky and almost distant smoke. Then it is regal and august at the turn as the citrus figgy sweet meets tannins of drying oak to produce a majestic cognac-like flavor signature. Yowza! This doesn't come off as a rustic Texas craft liquor. Black raisins, rum infused fig cake, and walnuts in the turn and the finish which is mostly dry despite the dessert flavor signature. Yum!

This is some refined and elegant liquor. What the heck is it really? I don't even care. The mix of lean and rich, sweet and dry as the flavors evolve across the palate are particularly beguiling to me. Like True Blue, the glory here is in the palate more than the nose. This is a stunning and original spirit. New, innovative, yet amazingly refined and seemingly very mature.  This is a new category of spirit that strides with the assurance of a traditional old world classic.  Serious whisky drinkers are going to love this.

*****

P.S. To the shadowy underworld figure knows as @Connoissaurus who vies with Lisa P. to be Mayor of Balcones Distillery on Four Square: "I'm watching you" (gestures two fingers to eyes and then outwards).

Tasting special unreleased casks of Balcones with Chip Tate and AllisonPatel at The Brandy Library

(If you linked here looking for information about Brenne Whisky from Cognac, click here) 

I attended the Balcones tasting event at the incomparable Brandy Library in TriBeCa. For a great description of this superlative NYC whisky bar, you cannot do better than to read Allison Patel's fabulous post evangelizing the Brandy Library. Allison is Balcones brand ambassador for California, exporter, and blogger of The Whisky Woman. Bottom line, The Brandy Library is one of NYC's top whisky bars, period and a must visit for whisky or spirit enthusiasts who come to the Big Apple.

Chip Tate in front of a crush of people

(Photo kindly courtesy of The Bourbon Blog - also in attendance)

When I arrived a huge crush of people was already in front of the table where Chip Tate was pouring and explaining. The maitre d' told me to wait for a place to open up and sit at the bar. I went down to the end of the bar to be closest to the action and saw two beautiful women having whisky. I immediately recognized one of them as Allison Patel, The Whisky Woman herself.

Allison Patel, "The Whisky Woman"

She generously invited me to join her conversation. I found her to be an enthusiastic whisky geek and a terrific, fun, and friendly person. She is also an ambitious and driven business person with an impressive history of accomplishment and a clear and focused vision of how to succeed in the spirits business. She currently runs her own import/export operation, Local Infusions LLC, which focuses on top craft whiskies. One of her current projects is the development of an exciting new single malt world whisky expression called Brenne. It promises to be a significant new spirit: Cognac's first single malt. I wish her much success with the endeavor and eagerly await my first sip as someone who loves both spirit segments.  (Update - now released and reviewed here).

Chip Tate of Balcones

Chip Tate, the Master Distiller, of Balcones - one of the most exciting and acclaimed craft distillers operating in the USA as part of the recent explosion in craft whiskies - was pouring the Balcones range and samples from a number of specially hand selected casks. The event was announced in conjunction with an announcement that the extremely rare cask strength more extensively aged version of Rumble - a spirit distilled from wild Texas honey, turbinado sugar, and dried figs called Rumble Cask Reserve was going to be available in New York state. Balcones' line also includes Texas Whisky, a surprisingly refined and tasty single malt, Baby Blue, a young whisky made from an unusual mash bill of 100% blue corn, True Blue, a more mature and cask strength version of Baby Blue's 100% blue corn mash bill, and Brimstone - a 53% abv expression of 100% blue corn that has had the smoke from Texas scrub oak passed through the distilled liquid (not the grain, as in every other smoky whisky).

Baby Blue threw me for a loop this time. I had had it before, but never at leisure. It had seemed a bit rough and raw to me. Allison fetched me a glass and the capable staff at the bar knew to provide ice water for drinking in one glass and room temperature Saratoga spring water with an eyedropper for precise dilutions in another without even being asked. Very classy. With time and a few drops of water Baby Blue was transformed into a refined and delicious dram. Intense confectioner's powder sugar opening yields to a seductive earthy, almost smoky, blue corn flavor quite reminiscent to True Blue's richer stronger palate, but fresh, immediate, yet gentle and eminently quaffable. Baby Blue's growing popularity suddenly made a great deal of sense to me.

Mackmyra The First properly served

While I waited at the bar for a place, I enjoyed a dram of Mackmyra The First (pronounced mahk-MEE-rah according to the nice serving lady who seemed remarkably well educated; not mack-MYRA - like I had been saying). This is another dram I had only had in a rushed manner at an event and had been erroneously unimpressed. Now, with time to air in a proper glass with a few drops of water Mackmyra The First opened beautifully to rich heathery sweetness with a musky almost smoky finish.

When things thinned out at Chip's pouring table I went over and started with a dram of the featured item: Rumble Cask Reserve. Mead sweetness expands into rich citrus with Cognac-like refinement. Chip was nice enough to let me take the remains of a bottle for a formal review - my next post coming up here on The Coopered Tot.

The unlabeled bottles are the special casks

Then things got even more interesting. Chip had brough a number of bottles taken from special single casks, not released in stores, that he feels represent superior expressions. He made the point that barrels follow a bell curve of quality with a small number far below par, most clustering around the average quality of the expression and a special few exhibiting a refinement and deliciousness well above the norm. He pointed out that really big distillers can hand select these special casks and produce full releases based on them, such as Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection.

I had two of these special selections in the remainder of the evening. First up Cask 1613, True Blue - intense powder sweet, citrus peel, and an august refinement through the entry and mid palate. All my favorite aspects of True Blue were clear: the earthy rich blue corn at the back end which tastes like America; the flavors of West Texas chapparell dust. But now the flavors were intensified. The sweetness exquisite on entry and the citrus taking on even more of a cognac richness and elegance. What a monster. A true five star selection if I ever had one.

Cask 1613 (left) and Cask 1200

I finished the evening with one I had tried before, and experience showed me that it was one never to miss if the opportunity presented (but also always to have last as it will utterly bend the palate to its will for many hours): Cask 1200 Brimstone, the so called "Burned Barrel". Cask 1200 is a tour de force of extraordinary power. Brimstone uncut at full cask strength with extraordinary smoke and richness but also a full measure of that exquisite confectioner's powder sugared entry, Texas terroir dust, and rich refinement through the glorious mid-palate. The titanic finish on this remained in palate over the next several hours and into the next morning, surviving my transit snack of a banana and several glasses of water. A rich scub oak American pit BBQ flavor, but with the elegance and refinement of an extraordinary old world eau de vie. If you ever have an opportunity to try a dram from the Burned Barrel, jump. Just make sure it's your last dram of the evening. Another knock-out five star triumph from Balcones. Chip has shown that he's a distilling innovator and craftsman of the first rank. If his production ever ramps up to where these special casks become releases Balcones will make a huge mark for American craft distilling on the International stage.

All in all, a tremendously enjoyable evening thanks to Chip Tate, Allison Patel, and the extraordinary Brandy Library.