We make every effort to preserve the luscious flavors of these ingredients in our spirits so that each sip is a decadent expression of their original state. Bottled at 46% ABV, this bourbon is Balcones way of letting the world know that good bourbon doesnt need to come from Kentucky. In August, the Balcones board of managers suspended Tate for 90 days and obtained a temporary restraining order to prevent him from entering the company he founded six years ago and placed other restrictions on him. Specialties: Balcones is a grain to glass distillery conveniently located in downtown, Waco, the heart of Texas. The plate is loaded with sticky toffee, vanilla frosting, brown sugar, and slight cinnamon spice. Board members and their attorney, Jeffrey Armstrong, said details of the negotiations and settlement with Tate are confidential and could not be disclosed, but Balcones board president Greg Allen said the company bought out Tates 27 percent interest in the company and removed him from the board after a meeting Wednesday. On, his off days, Keith retreats to his happy place, playing with his two beloved pugs, Rummie. In a resolution issued Wednesday, the four-member board said it fired Tate after buying out his share of the company and claimed he committed a variety of misdeeds, including conspiring with outside individuals to start a competing distillery and threatening the lives of board president Greg Allen and board member Noell Michaels. Mr. Tate said he feared that the investors motive all along had been to take over control of the company to back me into a corner and tell me to shut up and, eventually, to sell it for a premium to a multinational spirits company (several of which had already courted Mr. Tate). After declining for nearly 30 years, American whiskey sales were up 34 percent from 2008 to 2013, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, and up more than 100 percent for super-premium whiskey of the sort that Balcones specialized in. Since2013, Keith has managed and guided Balcones on its journey from small Waco whiskystartup to the internationally recognized, award-winning brand it is today. I prefer it to the Lineage and Baby Blue, just not for $70. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. Tasting it revealed a surprising nutty flavor along with toasted marshmallows and more oak. Youre not sure. Just as craft beer is more expensive than domestic beer so. I dont think the investors fully understood the craft mentality, he said. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of events and news with Balcones! Board member Mike Rockafellow, of Burnet, said he invested in Balcones because he believed in the company. Balcones is synonymous with quality and innovation in the whisky industry, known for emphasizing high quality ingredients and drawing influences from all over Texas. [ii], Claudia Schubert, President, Diageo North America, commented: We are delighted to welcome Balcones Distilling into Diageo. Overall, not a very complex whiskey. ( A week before the grand opening on Jan. 22nd) I'm glad I did. They use both Scottish and Texas barley and age their whiskey in both old and new oak barrels. The American whiskey industry is booming, and with the proven market power of craft products, small distillers are becoming takeover targets for big business. On the palate, layers of toasted malt and honey give way to mellow notes of baked pears and . True to form, Chip Tate is doing nothing the easy way as he turns an old contractors barn into Tate & Co. Distillery. This action is the very definition of malicious. He even made his own barrels. Quick Look: Balcones - Texas Pot Still. Balcones Distilling chairman Greg Allen said: Balcones started with an idea driven by an innovative spirit and passion to create something original and authentic in the heart of Texas. The average price for Balcones Baby Blue is $40-48. We craft many unique whiskies and spirits, all of which have received worldwide recognition. He was very bold, said Lew Bryson, the author of Tasting Whiskey and a longtime beer-and-spirits journalist. For Keith, working with the good people at Balcones and observing the, cooperation and coordination among all our departments is what brings joy to his work. A $40 bottle isnt going to break your bank, but there are better options out there. Thomas Mote got his professional start in coffee, then moved on to beer (most recently atEx Novo Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon), and finally jumped into whisky and hasbeen with Balcones Distilling since 2015. They do offer cask strength options at a much higher ABV. Tres Hombres Texas Whisky originally debuted in November 2021. In 2020, Jack Daniels topped the charts selling 12.3 million cases with Jim Beam not far behind at 10.7 million cases. Find a great collection of Spirits at Costco. Our distillers use highly customized casks that help facilitate aging in such a dynamic climate. While his happy hour beverage of choice is typically a Kolsch,Pilsner, or IPA, his Balcones favorite is a tie between the True Blue 100, for its balance ofoak intensity and grain complexity, and our Texas Rum, proofed down to 50% ABV to letthe fruity esters pop out of suspension. When theres a break in our rigorous productionschedule, Thomas hits the road, traveling the world with his wife, Ellen. Around the same time, Mr. Tate began to chafe at what he perceived as attempts by Mr. Allens three appointees to the board including Mr. Allen himself to dictate the companys day-to-day operations. While Mr. Allen sampled some of Balconess latest releases, Mr. Tate sold him on his grand plans for making it into a world-renowned whiskey brand. Clouston said the parties worked hard to resolve the dispute and questioned why the board drafted the termination resolution. As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list. The result is rich, nutty, sweet whisky. Below are frequently asked question about Balcones. We are Certified Whiskey Specialists and drink everything we review - follow along to discover some new whiskey favorites. Like corn or barley, oak is also an ingredient in whisky, and arguably the most important. Our flagship whisky, '1' Texas Single Malt, is our pride and joy, made using quality Scottish barley and aged in premium oak barrels. Himstedt, who learned the art of whiskey-making at Tates side and who, with Bellinger, is dedicated to maintaining Balcones quality, said Tate created a toxic environment in the workplace. Though Balcones also produces other whiskeys such as bourbon and rye, it is the first time the drinks behemoth fully owns an American single malt distillery beyond its minority stake in Portlands Westward. The next month a judge agreed with him and found that, without Mr. Tate present, Balcones couldnt go forward with a new plan to finance the distillery expansion with a $15 million debt offering. Many investors see that approach as old-fashioned, but weve taken time to find a group were proud to call partners.. It has been entertaining, he said. In 2014, we finally broke ground on transforming this awesome building into our new whisky distillery. We reviewed their Shiner Bock collaboration Balcones Texas Bock about two years ago and the bottle is still prominently on my liquor shelf in a place of honor. Its cask strength, bold, and rich. Balcones Tres Hombres Texas Whisky was created in collaboration with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Texas band, ZZ Top. The team also leverages distinctive high quality, and often locally sourced, original ingredients, including Texas-grown malted barley and roasted blue corn, to produce a range of highly decorated whiskies. But Mr. Allen and another investor soon found themselves at odds with Chip Tate, the founder and master distiller. If you dont enjoy smoky whiskies, dont open a bottle of this expression. If youre looking for something more potent with a more complicated flavor profile, try something else from the brand. Before our whiskies are ready to bottle, we must immerse ourselves in the most rewarding step of our craft: blending. Tate said the allegations are utterly absurd and slanderous. Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky is the first Texas made and sold whiskey since the days of prohibition. Nose: Light oak, sweet molasses, and light fruit. Overall, this is a very complex, highly drinkable whiskey. While Keithdescribes himself as respectful, old, and grumpy, his colleagues at the distillery view himas a kind friend, mentor, and savvy leader of our growing company with over fortyemployees. From Mr. Tates perspective, Mr. Allens role was to be strictly financial. Currently, Greg Allen, the investor is the largest owner of Balcones Distilling. $52.84 (45.95) Balcones Baby Blue $56.29 (48.95) 9 shopping results Select bottling: Balcones '1' Texas Single Malt Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky The one thing about Balcones Baby Blue that I love is the complexity. Hes not trying to make whiskey like other people make whiskey. Mr. Bryson recalled that the first time they met, Mr. Tate said he made the best whiskey in the world. Balcones Whisky Distillery Balcones Texas Single Malt (70cl, 53%) (18 Reviews) 61.95 In Stock Express delivery available (choose a date) Arrives tomorrow, order within 19:56:07 More Alternatives 52.50 Brimstone 41.75 Baby Blue Corn 39.99 Balcones Bourbon Try a Balcones Single Malt Sample. Thats how I feel about Balcones whiskey. Overall, Balcones Bourbon is on par with the rest of their selection from a taste perspective, and its the cheapest of the bunch. Nevertheless, in January, Mr. Tate agreed to bring in an engineering consultant to help with the plans. Mr. Tate countersued in late October, saying the boards actions were invalid because they had been taken without him present, and thus without a quorum. It takes a buyer and a seller, he said. The Balcones Lineage Texas Single Malt Whisky may not be up to the standards of some of the more fine single malt scotch whiskies out there, but at 47% ABV, it is a quality whiskey worth trying. Its bottled at 92 proof and is well-known for its sweet corn and caramel flavors. Whereas some of their other selections can be $10+ more expensive across a border, Balcones Bourbon is still found at the $30 price point in various states. Its also the first whiskey to be distilled from blue corn. I am leaving the enterprise. Allen said that while Tate had the talent and creative vision to start the company, he needed help from investors to fund the expansion. Those first months were great, said Keith Bellinger, whom Mr. Tate hired in the fall of 2013 to run the companys distribution. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Maybe Ill found a Texas brandy tradition., A version of this article appears in print on, How Dreams and Money Didnt Mix at a Texas Distillery, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/business/how-dreams-and-money-didnt-mix-at-a-texas-distillery.html. Spirits drinkers have over 2,000 distilleries, including more than 700 that primarily make bourbon and other types of whiskey. In this guide, were going to look at the 5 classic whiskeys that Balcones distills. The next day, the company announced that it had fired Mr. Tate. There are hints of raisins, wood char, and slight vanilla, but not much else. Balcones Distilling comes to us out of Waco, TX and makes a handful of whiskeys, including bourbon. After months of hard work and extreme effort, the parties agreed to and signed a settlement agreement last night at approximately 8 p.m., Clouston said. While Keith, describes himself as respectful, old, and grumpy, his colleagues at the distillery view him, as a kind friend, mentor, and savvy leader of our growing company with over forty, employees. In the simplest terms we have a lot of options when we drink. This is the richest, most complex whisky Ive tried today. Allen, of Virginia, said with the litigation resolved, it is important for the company and its 13 employees to press forward, which includes moving into the 65,000-square-foot Texas Fireproof Storage building at 225 S. 11th St. and dramatically expanding the business. The finish is leathery with most of the spice coming in here, yet still fairly smooth.
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