BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: Still Austin Whiskey Co.
• MASH BILL: 36% Red Corn | 34% White Corn | 25% Rye | 5% Malted Barley
• AGE: 4 years, bottled-in-bond
• YEAR: 2023
• PROOF: 100
• MSRP: $79.99
• BUY ONLINE: Still Austin site

STEVE’S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Any whiskey drinker, especially Texas whiskey doubters.

WORTH THE PRICE: Definitely high for a bottled-in-bond bourbon, but if you want something truly unique– something most BIBs don’t taste like at that age– buy it. I can’t imagine someone regretting that decision.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle.

OVERALL: The palate is simple, lovely, sweet, and oaky. It’s what bourbon at its simplest should be. No surprises, no disappointments, just goodness that’s so easy to drink that you extend your arm for a refill—before you need a refill.

On the heels of warm caramel corn follows corn casserole and demerara syrup. I’ve had a few whiskeys using Jimmy Red corn, and they’ve always left me thinking, “Who cares? It’s red, and it tastes a bit dirty.” That’s not the case at all here. Clearly, those others weren’t distilled like this. Or perhaps it’s the white corn in the mash bill that scrubs off red’s edges, a “whole is greater than the sum of its parts” thing.

There’s oak, but no dryness, just depth accented with raisins and pecan pie. For its youth, it’s incredibly well-rounded and has a weighty mouthfeel that coats every nook and cranny of the mouth. Gosh, this is good!

This is the summer release of a four-season bottled-in-bond series for 2023. Between this and the High Rye Bourbon whiskey released for summer, I’m a full-on fan of Still Austin’s Texas whiskey.

BRAND NOTES

For this Summer 2023 release–represented by the heat-loving snake and cactus– we combined the robust nuttiness of Jimmy Red corn with the sweet spice of rye. The result is a summertime bourbon offering creamsicle and black tea scents, followed by a palate of peppermint and marzipan.

Nose: Orange zest, creamsicle, black tea, shortbread, brown baking spice, apple crisp

Palate: Peppermint, brown sugar, marzipan, maple syrup, water-buttered biscuit, toasted almonds

Finish: Complex but luscious, dark brown sugar, rum raisin, peppercorn, ripe red grapes, cranberry, dry red wine finish.

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.