Balcones Distilling

In a converted warehouse district south of downtown Waco, Balcones Distilling set out in 2008 to prove that Texas heat, not Highland cold, could shape a serious whiskey. It became one of the founding names of the American single malt movement, and by 2022 it had drawn the attention of Diageo, the largest spirits company in the world.

History & Heritage

Balcones Distilling was founded in 2008 by Chip Tate, who began distilling in Waco with a small operation built around unconventional Texas grains rather than imported tradition. The distillery's early corn whiskey drew instant recognition. Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky, made from roasted heirloom blue corn, won a double gold medal in the corn whiskey category at the 2010 San Francisco International Spirits Competition, an early signal that the young Waco distillery was working at a level above typical craft output.

Chip Tate departed the company in 2014 following a well-documented ownership dispute, and Balcones continued under new leadership with Greg Allen serving as chairman. The distillery kept winning: American Craft Whisky Distillery of the Year at the Wizards of Whisky Awards in both 2015 and 2016, and Brand Innovator of the Year at the 2019 Icons of Whisky America Awards, the same year head distiller Jared Himstedt was named Master Distiller/Blender of the Year. In 2022, Diageo acquired Balcones Distilling outright, folding the Texas producer into its portfolio of premium and super-premium spirits brands. As of July 2026, Balcones Distilling is owned by Diageo. Diageo has stated the acquisition recognized more than 500 national and international tasting awards and accolades earned by Balcones' whiskies and spirits.

The Whiskey

Balcones remains a true grain-to-glass producer, milling, mashing, fermenting, and distilling everything on site at its Waco facility. The distillery runs two separate milling and cooking systems: a roller mill and mash tun for single malt batches, and a hammer mill and cereal cooker for bourbon and rye batches. Distillation happens on copper pot stills designed and built by Forsyths of Scotland, two wash stills and two spirit stills, run in double batches, a slower and less efficient method than column distillation but one that yields richer, more textured spirit.

Fermentation is extended to a minimum of seven to eight days, long enough to draw in native yeast and microflora specific to the Waco area, giving Balcones spirit a fermentation character that cannot be replicated elsewhere. The mash bills lean on Texas-grown grain: 100 percent roasted heirloom blue corn for Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky, a blend of roasted blue corn, Texas wheat, Texas rye, and malted barley for Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon, and 100 percent Elbon rye sourced from Northwest Texas, blended with chocolate, crystal, and roasted rye, for Balcones Texas Rye. The flagship, Balcones Texas Single Malt, is built on Golden Promise malted barley and frequently finished across a range of casks including new American oak, new French oak, port, Oloroso, PX sherry, and Texas Madeira. Every whiskey is bottled non-chill filtered to preserve mouthfeel, and blenders personally smell and taste each barrel before it goes into a finished batch.

Why It Matters

Waco's climate, with its sharp daily temperature swings, pushes barrels through expansion and contraction cycles far more aggressively than a cooler climate would, accelerating maturation and concentrating flavor in a shorter timeframe. That combination of extreme climate and native fermentation is why Balcones built a reputation as a genuine style-setter rather than a regional curiosity. Balcones Texas 1 Single Malt was named Whiskey of the Year at the 2023 New Orleans Spirits Competition, and the distillery was named American Single Malt Distillery of the Year at the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition, evidence that its early promise as "World's Best Single Malt Whisky" at the 2012 Best in Glass competition has held up over more than a decade of scrutiny. Across its history the distillery has accumulated more than 140 national and international awards by some counts and over 160 by others, a level of consistency that helped make the case for Diageo's acquisition.

Visiting the Distillery

Balcones Distilling offers guided tours Thursday through Saturday, lasting 60 to 75 minutes and including a tasting of signature spirits. Reservations are required and booked online; tours cost approximately $20 to $21 per person plus tax and fees. Visitors must be 19 years old to book a tour and 21 to participate in the tasting. The tasting room itself is open Wednesday through Saturday for flights, drams, and cocktails, alongside a gift shop for bottle purchases, limited to two 750ml bottles per person every 30 days, and Balcones merchandise. Guests who purchase a tasting flight receive $10.00 off one bottle of whiskey.

The Sentinel Room's Reserve Whiskey Library currently carries Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky, the roasted heirloom blue corn expression that first put the distillery on the map, aged in used barrels for an intentionally youthful, grain-forward profile.