Balcones Mirador Eclipse American Single Malt Whiskey Review & Tasting Notes

 

Balcones Distilling has a broader portfolio than you’d imagine. Its core line-up is a Baby Blue Corn Whiskey, Single Malts, Bourbon, Rye, and a few proprietary whiskeys. Beyond that, the distillery has annual releases, including a Rum, a wheated Bourbon, and cask strength whiskeys. Then there are their “special” releases; some are one-offs, others aren’t.

 

“In 2008, Balcones was nothing more than an idea driven by a passion to create something original and authentic right here in the Heart of Texas. It all started in an old welding shop under a bridge in Waco. For the next year, we replaced the roofing, knocked out walls, laid brick, cut pipes, installed copper pot stills from Portugal, and shoehorned a whisky distillery inside that quaint building. Proud of what we had accomplished on our own, we began distilling in 2009.” – Balcones Distilling

 

The distillery is located in Waco, Texas, and is currently owned by Diageo.

 

In my experience, Balcones excels in the category of American Single Malts. Today, we’re exploring Mirador Eclipse, which Balcones calls a Texas Single Malt.

 

Mirador is one of Balcones’ annual releases that features malted Golden Promise barley whiskey aged in used cooperage. For Mirador Eclipse, Balcones swapped the standard ale yeast to those from red wine yeast, rosé yeast, and its house malt whiskey yeast. Once distilled, 47% of the whiskey is aged in first, second, and third-fill Kentucky Bourbon barrels, with the remainder in ex-Balcones barrels. The total time in wood is between 56 and 71 months.

 

A 750ml bottle is packaged at 55% ABV (110°) and has a suggested price of $100.00. Mirador Eclipse is distributed in Texas, California, New York, Florida, Illinois, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Missouri, New Jersey, Louisiana, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oregon, Minnesota, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

 

Is Mirador Eclipse Texas Single Malt worth getting in the car and heading to your local liquor store? Let’s #DrinkCurious and find out. But first, please allow me to thank Balcones for providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured this whiskey into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. The brassy-colored liquid formed a medium rim that jettisoned a curtain of thick tears.

 

Nose: The aroma included notes of pineapples, almonds, orange rind, melons, and caramel. The inside of my mouth was filled with coconuts as I drew the air through my lips.

 

Palate: Mirador Eclipse possessed a thin, oily texture that coated the entirety of my mouth. The front of my palate discovered grilled pineapples, lemon zest, and raspberries. The middle featured grapefruit, raisins, and malt. I tasted oak, clove, and roasted almonds.

 

Finish: The medium-to-long duration included flavors of oak, clove, grilled pineapples, mint, and herbal tea.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Texas whiskeys can be very polarizing. Some refuse to taste one if they know its origin. Those people are cheating themselves out of lovely experiences.

 

One of the things Texas distilleries does right, time and time again, is American Single Malt. I’m unsure if it is the hotter climate or something else. When you get to an American Single Malt that’s 4.5 years or longer, that’s beyond what many distilleries, Texan or otherwise, invest.

 

I believe Balcones has Mirador Eclipse mashed correctly, aged sufficiently, and properly proofed. The citrus notes are bold; the spice notes are muted. There is everything to enjoy and nothing to not, and because of that, it earns my coveted Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.