Waco, TX based Balcones Distillery announced this week their second release of “Tres Hombres” which is a collaborative whisky with legendary rock group ZZ Top. Huh? So the dudes with the long beards are also in the celebrity whiskey game?
First glance, this felt kind of random. OK, we’ll say it – silly. Felt a little silly. But as it turns out, there is indeed an endearing connection between distiller and the iconic rockers (Sharp Dressed Man being my fave of their known hits). That connection – TEXAS.
ZZ Top hails from Houston as has been synonymous with all that is the Lone Star State for more than five decades. Named the “Official Heroes” of the State of Texas, ZZ Top has created 15 studio albums and sold an estimated 50 million albums worldwide.
Tres Hombres pays homage to ZZ Top’s first top 10 chart album released in 1973 and is made using a grain-to-glass approach with three distinct grains: roasted blue corn, barley, and rye – one for each band member. The expression celebrates strong Texas ties and a mutual love for whisky between the Houston-founded rock and roll band and Waco-based distillery.
TASTING NOTES (per the brand): Tres Hombres boasts a powerful flavor profile as aromas of honey crisp apples and buttered pastry greet the tongue while notes of brown sugar and red grapes fill the palate. The finish is vivacious and bubbly, full of bits of fresh ginger and sage.
We asked if the musicians themselves were proactive in the taste profile building and selecting. Per the brand, they were indeed very much involved in the collaborative process with the distillery. I can go for that. The long bearded legends are still touring (more on that), makes sense they would want to have their own whisky that they actually enjoyed and had a sturdy hand in co-crafting.
“The initial launch of Tres Hombres and collaboration between two Texas originals was an overwhelming success,” said Carl Stubner, manager of ZZ Top. “We’re looking forward to rolling it out a second time, raising a glass with fans of the band and fans of good whisky across the country.”
In addition, ZZ Top will be launching RAW, a new album set to be released on July 22, 2022. RAW was recorded and filmed for the Grammy-nominated Netflix documentary, “That Little Ol’ Band From Texas.”
RAW will also be supported by ZZ Top’s forthcoming RAW WHISKY TOUR. The tour, starting on May 27 in San Diego, CA, will see the band on stage in 100 dates across North America in 2022.
Jared Himstedt, head distiller at Balcones Distilling, added, “ZZ Top and Balcones share a passion for creating things that are authentic, memorable and tell a story. Tres Hombres does just that, and we’re excited to bring the whisky back to be enjoyed by Texans and beyond.”
Tres Hombres will be available at select retailers across Texas and California and will roll out to liquor stores across select other states in early June. To learn more about Balcones Distilling, please visit BalconesDistilling.com. To learn more about ZZ Top, please visit ZZTop.com.
