Bourbon Reviews, Distillery News and Information
Balcones Distilling Tour (Short Videos)
We had the pleasure of visiting Balcones Distilling late last year. We spent an enjoyable few hours there, learning all about the distillery, tasting some great whisky and making some new friends. It's been a long time coming, but we finally have our full Balcones visit write up on BourbonObsessed.com in the Distillery Reviews section.
We were fortunate to have a Balcones Distilling Tour in November 2021. Here are a few short videos, to help you get a feel for the place. To learn more about the distillery and our visit, follow this link to read our Full Balcones Distilling Tour Review.
Balcones Distilling is Born
In 2008, Balcones Distilling quietly sprang to life in the unassuming Texas town of Waco. The following year, this former welding shop turned homemade distillery began producing its own whiskies. By April 2010, it became clear that the tiny underpass (the building sets under the 17th St bridge) operation was something special. The reason being was that the distillery, not yet a year and a half old, walked away with a double gold medal in the corn whiskey category at the 2010 San Francisco International Spirits Competition. The Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky had wowed the judges.
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Growth Happens – Balcones Distilling Tour
More recognition and awards continued to follow, and in no time Balcones Distilling had a demand that outweighed their supply. To solve this problem, the distillery desperately needed more space, not to mention larger pot stills. In 2011, the solution began to slowly materialize when the distillery purchased the historic Texas Fireproof Storage Company building located in downtown Waco. It was just a few blocks from Balcones’ original home. In 2015, after a few years of wrangling, Balcones began construction on its new facility. Retrofitting the 100 year old historic property was a Texas-sized undertaking. The result however was impressive. By February 2016, the distillery now had 4 stories and 65,000 square feet of space. Perhaps most importantly, they had new custom Scottish pot stills with which to continue to create their original brand of Texas whisky.
Our Balcones Distilling Tour
We had the pleasure of visiting Balcones Distilling and taking a our late in 2021. We spent an enjoyable few hours learning all about the distillery, tasting some great whisky and making new friends. It’s been a long time coming, but we finally have our full Balcones Distilling visit and tour write up on BourbonObsessed.com in the Distillery Reviews section. If you would like to take an in depth journey into the distillery, then pour yourself some whisk(e)y, relax in your comfy chair, and enjoy the photos and article!
In the meantime, here are a few short videos from our Balcones Distilling Tour to give you a taste of the distillery, so to speak. Cheers!
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About the author: Ed Escott is truly "Bourbon Obsessed". He is the founder of Bourbon Obsessed, LLC, and an Executive Bourbon Steward of the Stave and Thief Society. In addition, he has authored and edited over 600 bourbon and other whiskey reviews, over 50 in-depth distillery write-ups, and many other related articles. He is on the board of the Kentucky Bourbon Influencers and a member of the Lexington Bourbon Society and the Bourbon Capital Guild. Last, but not least, Ed has attended many bourbon-related educational sessions, visited countless distilleries, and is on a never-ending quest to try every bourbon.
Prior to focusing solely on Bourbon Obsessed, Ed practiced in academic medicine for three decades. He most recently was a Professor at the University of Kentucky and served as Chief of the Division of Neuroradiology and Vice Chair For Faculty Mentoring, Development & Wellness of the Department of Radiology. He has extensive editorial experience in academic medical publication, and brings that same academic mindset to Bourbon Obsessed, which is a unique approach for a spirit-focused media company.
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