TEXAS 1Single Malt Whisky

As of January 19th, 2025, the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission's proposed standards of identity for American Single Malt Whisky have been made official by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The standards are as follows:

• Made from 100% malted barley
• Distilled entirely at one distillery
• Mashed, distilled and matured in the U.S.
• Matured in oak casks of a capacity not exceeding 700 liters
• Distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume)
• Bottled at 80 (U.S.) proof or more (40% alcohol by volume)

There are many notable differences in these two spirits, from the creation process to their respective profiles. For example:

• Lineage Single Malt is aged 3 years and Texas 1 Single Malt is aged 4 years.
• Lineage Single Malt is made with a mix of Golden Promise and Texas Malted Barley, while Texas 1 Single Malt is made with only Golden Promise.
• Lineage Single Malt is 47% ABV and Texas 1 Single Malt is 53% ABV.
• Lineage Single Malt is aged in a mix of virgin and used oak barrels, while Texas 1 Single Malt is aged in predominantly virgin oak.

Only whiskies made in Scotland can be called Scotch, an umbrella term that refers to any whisky made in Scotland, single grain whisky (corn or wheat, for example), single malt (100% malted barley) or a blend of the two (blended Scotch). American Single Malt Whisky and other world single malts were initially inspired by traditional single malts from Scotland and Ireland. US distillers of American Single Malts may adapt and build on traditional techniques to produce innovative expressions. At Balcones, the Texas climate, Texas microflora and Texas barley all play a major role in how our single malts mature and taste, setting our whiskies apart from those of other producers in the category.

The process, maturation and ingredients all factor into the price of single malts. Whiskies in the single malt category require more highly specialized equipment, often undergo longer maturation in high-quality barrels and take up more warehouse storage space. Lastly, malted barley—the dominant grain in single malt—is much more costly to purchase and use in whisky-making than other cereal grains, such as corn.