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Balcones whiskey distillery

Balcones factsheet

Name Pronounced AKA Region
Balcones Texas
Country of Origin Status Active Whisky Type
USA Active 2008 - Present Grain
Website Tours Available Owned by Parent Group
Balcones Tour Link Keith Bellinger

Balcones Timeline:

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  1. 2006Chip Tate earns master-level diplomas from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling; meets Jared Himstedt through a Waco brewers' club (2005).
  2. 2008Balcones founded in Waco, Texas - investor Steve Germer puts in ~$100,000; Tate maxes credit cards and borrows to buy and fit out an ex-welding shop.
  3. 2009Texas Baby Blue (blue-corn whisky) released March; wins double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition - stunning critics and putting Texas whisky on the map.
  4. 2020Bought by Diageo; founding master distiller Jared Himstedt stayed on.

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Can I tour Balcones?

No, unfortunately Balcones distillery is not open to the public for tours