One of my best friends works for Balcones Distilling, and after a D&D session, he said, “Hey, I have whiskey for you. It’s in my car.” He was returning my bottle of Balcones High Plains Single Malt — but also had two samples for me. One really piqued my interest: their Pot Still Rum finished in ex-peated whisky barrels, called Prohibida (Spanish for “prohibited”).
After some digging, I spoke with James Goad, Balcones’ California state manager, who confirmed it was aged for at least 33 months in ex-peated Balcones single malt whisky barrels.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Very floral — lavender, honey, dark chocolate biscuits. Typical aged rum notes of caramel, fruit bouquet, and baking spice, slightly muted by the intensity of the peated barrel. In place of typical briny/iodine notes, a burnt-charcoal-briquette aroma envelops the spirit.
Palate: Fascinating — closest comparison is Lost Spirits’ Navy Strength rum. Burnt charcoal, slight brine, vanilla, caramel, cherry, tobacco, and heather throughout.
Final Thoughts
Balcones Prohibida is fascinatingly unique for two reasons: you don’t see much American rum, certainly not from a whiskey distillery in Texas — and they’re using ex-peated single malt barrels from their own whiskey. If you haven’t tried their Peated Single Malt, you absolutely should.
Originally published on Wine & Whiskey Globe.