Balcones Rumble

Balcones Rumble defies categorization… it’s actually something new — a Spirit that is hard to define, but one that you will love to drink.

You just have to love the charming, independent, and rebellious spirit of Texas. Balcones Distilling is based in Waco — just about halfway between Dallas and Austin. Texas is a big state, and they like everything big… big steaks, big trucks, big hats, and big flavors. Balcones is still a small distillery (thank goodness!), but it is filled with big ideas.

They hand-make a range of Whiskies, Rums, and mysterious fiddly things, all of which are unabashedly crafted with the big flavors they love. But just because these Texas Spirits stand up and yell “Yeee-Haw!” doesn’t mean they don’t have all the serious craftsmanship and quality you get in the big city or the fancy-dancy capitals of Europe. These Spirits are top notch, and they have the awards to prove it.

Balcones calls their Rumble beverage “A One-of-a-kind Texas Spirit.” That just about nails it. It is twice distilled in traditional copper pots and aged like Bourbon in premium oak without chill-filtering so that everything retains its full character. But then things get a little… different.

Rumble starts as a combination of Texas wildflower honey, turbinado sugar, and mission figs. After all that premium aging technique, they serve it up at 47% ABV (94 PROOF). What you end up with is almost a Whisky, but it also has features that scream Bourbon, aged Rum, Honey-mead, even a fruit-forward French Liqueur. You may have trouble defining this crafted product, but you like it… a lot!

Smartass Corner:
The other interesting thing is the name. “Balcones” is a fault line that runs prominently from Dallas (most people in Dallas have no idea there is a fault line in Dallas, but a trip to southwest Dallas around Duncanville will prove it) to south of Austin, Texas. In fact it is the Balcones Fault that creates the gorgeous Texas Hill Country.