Alex also pointed out that although early success allowed the company to expand quickly, from day one, the primary directive has been to make the best whisky possible and this continues to be the driving force for Balcones.
So what do Scottish distilleries have to do with Balcones? Stay tuned. We learned that it is customary to name Scottish distilleries after local geographic features. The name of the distillery comes from the Balcones fault which runs through Waco. Much of it noted above, he relayed the company’s journey from its humble beginnings to its now very spacious campus. (Figure is from the American Distilling Institute as of February 26, 2021.)Īfter quick introductions, Alex began with a history lesson. A perfect fit since we were here to learn what makes Balcones Distilling a unicorn among the 2063 distilleries currently operating in the U.S. He is the Single Barrel & Brand Education Manager for Balcones. Our tour kicked off on a crisp November fall morning. Bottle Shop hours are as follows: Mondays: 12pm-5pm (bottle sales only) Tuesdays-Saturdays: 12pm-9pm Sundays: closed. If you’re short on time, Balcones’ Bottle Shop is open for bottle sales, tastings, cocktails, and beer. Tours can be booked online and the cost is $20 + tax/fees.
The Distillery Tour lasts about an hour as one covers on foot the various areas of Balcones’ distilling process. Please note that the distillery cannot accommodate infants and children on tours. Visitors must be 19 years old to book a tour and 21 years of age to partake in the tasting at the end of the tour. In 2016 with its new digs in place, Balcones eagerly began to welcome visitors. By February 2016, the distillery now had 4 stories, 65,000 square feet of space, and perhaps most importantly, new custom Scottish pot stills with which to continue to create their original brand of Texas whisky. Retrofitting the 100 year old historic property was a Texas-sized undertaking. In 2015, after a few years of wrangling, Balcones began construction on its new facility. In 2011, the solution began to slowly materialize when the distillery purchased the historic Texas Fireproof Storage Company building located in downtown Waco, just a few blocks from Balcones’ original home. To solve this problem, the distillery desperately needed more space, not to mention larger pot stills. More recognition and awards continued to follow, and in no time Balcones had a demand that outweighed their supply. The Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky had wowed the judges. 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 following year, this former welding shop turned homemade distillery began producing its own whiskies and by April 2010, it became clear that the tiny underpass (the building sets under the 17th St bridge) operation was something special. In 2008, Balcones Distilling quietly sprang to life in the unassuming Texas town of Waco. Please enjoy our Balcones Distilling Tour Review! Balcones Distilling – The beginning
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