This one's a bruiser, but you can get with it quickly. It's like a great blues guitarist playing a little too loud--in the right mood (say, Saturday night), it adds to the fun. In the wrong mood, this might come across as too hot and sweet. It's got tons of maple, tons of brown sugar, backed with lots of spice and woodiness to give it complexity. Definite alcohol twang near the finish, but it's not rough and raw. It's just ratcheted up to a high degree. My first Balcones and I definitely look forward to trying more.