STILL AUSTIN BOURBON & RYE
AUSTIN, TEXAS
Why Buy: On the heels of back-to-back Double Golds at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a coveted spot in Whiskey Advocate's Top 10 last year, these small-batch artisans from Austin have issued a stunning quartet of 3 bourbons and 1 rye, all with that distinctive Still Austin signature: namely, walloping cask strength (three of these bottles clock in at a grow-hair-on-your-chest 116-118 proof) and long, sustained finishes that stick around longer than unwanted houseguests. These aren't spirits for the faint of heart or delicate of palate — they're big and swaggering whiskeys that announce themselves with authority and leave you with something to remember them by.
What They're Saying: Their Cask Strength Bourbon took home Double Gold two years in a row at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2022 and 2023. And one of their bottlings earned a spot in Whiskey Advocate's Top 10 last year—the kind of recognition that typically takes distilleries decades to achieve.
Our Tasting Notes: American craft distilling at its most audacious and accomplished — spirits that combine technical precision with a distinctly Texan swagger.
- The Cask Strength Bourbon opens with brandied cherries, muddled mint, and cinnamon toast before revealing grilled peaches, butterscotch pecan pie, and dark brown sugar on the palate—a masterful blend of power and subtlety that finishes with rye spice, nutmeg, and clove
- Its high-proof sibling, the Cask Strength Rye, offers cherry cobbler with buttery cinnamon crust on the nose, transitions to grilled peaches with mint ice cream on the palate, and concludes with baking spices in brown butter
- The Straight Bottled in Bond Bourbon, aged for a minimum of six years, presents blood orange zest and brandied cherries before unfolding into Nilla wafer, blueberry muffin, and coffee cake flavors, with a long finish of black currant and sweet hibiscus
- Completing the quartet, the Single Barrel Bourbon delivers rich butterscotch and cinnamon notes that blend sweet and bright tones in perfect harmony.
The Story: "No one said making whiskey was easy. But we decided to make it about as difficult as possible, because dammit, we like a challenge." That's the philosophy driving these Texas mavericks, who went to Scotland to commission a 42-foot column still from the world's best stillmaker, then promised never to use any grains grown outside the Lone Star State, no matter how rare or obscure those grains might be. For the Bottled in Bond Bourbon, that means a mashbill of 70% white corn, 25% rye, and 5% malted barley—a high-rye recipe that calls to mind crisp fall air, while the white corn conjures visions of autumnal fields. Each bottle features label art by nationally-renowned artist (and Austinite) Marc Burckhardt, who created a nighttime scene for the Cask Strength expressions to reflect their deeper, more mysterious nature. These are spirits created for, as they say, "the artists, the outsiders, and the ne'er-do-wells"—whiskeys with personality as big as Texas itself.
ABV: Cask Strength Bourbon: 59% (118 proof), Cask Strength Rye: 58% (116 proof), Straight Bottled in Bond Bourbon: 50% (100 proof), Single Barrel Bourbon: 58% (116 proof).
Fun Fact: If you're looking for the perfect cocktail to showcase the Cask Strength Rye, try their house recipe for "Catcher in the Rye": 2 oz Still Austin Cask Rye, 0.5 oz lemon juice, 0.5 oz orange juice, and 0.5 oz Luxardo cherry juice. Shake all ingredients in a tin with ice, strain into a rocks glass with ice, and garnish with lemon peel and cherry.
What to Pair Them With: These robust whiskeys can stand up to the boldest flavors. Try the Cask Strength Bourbon alongside a pepper-crusted Texas ribeye, the Cask Strength Rye with spicy barbecue brisket, the Bottled in Bond with pecan pie, and the Single Barrel with dark chocolate and dried fruits.
Our Guarantee: As with all our premium spirits, these bottles come directly from the distillery, ensuring perfect provenance. Get yours today!