Balcones Distilling Brimstone Smoked Whisky

Balcones distillery

At the Balcones Distillery in Waco, TX, proprietor and head distiller Chip Tate marries innovation with traditional distillation methods to create premium, artisanal spirits that pay homage to America’s whiskey tradition. His passion for handcrafted spirits is evidenced by his attention to detail. “By building our own condensers, wash stills, heat exchangers, hot liquor tank, etc. we were able to build exactly the equipment we wanted to use to make spirits.

Balcones whiskey

We became extremely familiar with the tools of our trade.  Balcones distilling, the equipment itself is one more level of the distilling process that we get to craft with our own hands,” says Tate. After careful inspection and approval of every stage of the production process, Chip and his team hand-dip each bottle of Balcones with wax as a seal of their approval. 106º Proof, made from 100% blue corn, this whiskey is smoked using Texas scrub oak rather than traditional Scottish peat.

The sun-baked Texas scrub oak imparts a bold smokiness that is balanced by aromas of corn husk, confectioners sugar, graham crackers, chili peppers, BBQ pit and stone fruit. Balcones distilling, Sweet tea, butter, orange marmalade, fruit cocktail, and chili peppers flavors come together nicely to create a long, dry finish that features slight mineral and smoky notes. With Brimstone, Chip Tate continues to assert his leadership of the craft distiller movement in Texas.