Honey | Ginger | Citrus | Grassy | Full & pungent aroma

Fennel | Honeysuckle | Stone fruit | Heavy rye spice | Nutmeg | Rich & punchy | Unique

Intense rush of heat | Raisin | Anise | Herbal undertone | Baking spices ramp up on the backend | Very long

Still Austin Whiskey Co. is an up-and-coming distillery that gives off a good vibe, making them one you immediately want to root for. Located in Austin, Texas, production is led by head distiller John Schrepel, a New Yorker who “adjusted to the Texas heat,” he says. The company credits much of their success to guidance provided by industry experts Nancy Fraley and Mike Delavante.

Like their Cask Strength Bourbon, Cask Strength Rye was blended by Master Blender Nancy Fraley, who draws from some of the more notable barrels that would have otherwise been used for their lower proof rye referred to as “The Artist.” For Cask Strength Rye, the whiskey is bottled at the same proof it was aged. According to the press release, it was distilled from 100% Texas-grown rye.

Still Austin Cask Strength Rye is an intense, complex whiskey. While it only adds about 16 proof points to its lower proof counterpart, “The Artist,” it adds quite a bit of intensity. Like “The Artist,” it’s also quite a bit more developed than you might expect for being only 2 years old. A full, pungent aroma that includes ginger, honey, and citrus gives way to a set of flavors that don’t necessarily offer any unique individual component, but when they all come together the whiskey comes across as unique, intense, and complex. It’s nothing like someone might come to expect from a typical rye originating out of Kentucky or Indiana, and will be a polarizing experience as a result. With that being said, it’s another great example of some of the really notable whiskey coming out of different areas of the country, in this case Texas.