Time to dive in to another bottle. Also, before we get into the review let me say that I use the same reviewing scale that the highly regard and handsome u/WarTill uses, which is a 1-10 system. In this system, 1 is undrinkable. A 5 is an absolutely average whiskey; not good, not bad. A 10 is absolutely perfect. (I’ve scored a few whiskeys and over 100 different beers, nothing has gotten a 10 so far)

BACKGROUND… I’ve been hearing a ton about Still Austin. Mainly good things, but there is also a fair share of grumbles with the distillery. One of the biggest critiques I commonly see is the young age statement. However, after trying Dettling, I have found out first hand how an extremely hot climate can age a whiskey exponentially faster. Not to mention, Nancy Fraley has her hand involved in production, and I’m sure she knows what she is doing. I saw this bottle at a local total wine, so I figured I may as well pull the trigger.

STATS:

Proof: 116 proof

Price: $49.99

Age: Atleast 2 years

Mash bill: 70% corn, 25% rye, 5% malted barley (Apparently all their grain is Texas grown)

Review… (Poured neat into a Glencarin, let sit for 30 minutes before drinking)

NOSE: This nose is immediately in your face, in the best way. I get a bit of an earthy, but not grassy/grainy rye spice, with spearmint and cinnamon immediately jumping out at me. Little to no ethanol on the nose. In the background I get a faint toffee note. Rich.

PALATE: She drinks warm. It’s not a rail liquor burn or even a significant “spicy” sensation; it’s just a pleasant warmth that starts on the palate and goes all the way down to your stomach, and even flushes your face a little bit. It sounds silly, but it reminds me of being near a campfire in the late fall. The mouthfeel is thick, almost chewy. As far as flavor, the palate largely follows the nose. The toffee note is more pronounced, with a subtle brownie batter note holding it up. I get a touch of ginger mixed in with that spearmint note. There is also a surprising fruity note that, comes across as something between a mango and a peach. There is also a background note that reminds me of smoke from pecan wood. (My very amateur bbq experience is shining through here)

FINISH: Finish is medium in length. I get a butterscotch note, with mint chocolate chip. There is some cinnamon and cayenne spice showing it’s head. Leaves a cooling mint sensation behind.

Finishing Thoughts… Well, the Texas heat worked it’s magic on this mash. Does not taste 2 years old at all; i’d guess it to be closer to 5ish years. This pour is the antithesis of soft and elegant. It’s brash and in your face is a way that I really enjoy. I find myself enjoying these whiskeys from hot climates. I could see this flavor profile being off putting to some, but not me. I liked this quite a bit (I reached for 2 more pours of this, something I don’t typically do) and I think it’s a really good value for the price. I’ll actually be moving to the Austin area soon, so i’ll make sure to stop by the distillery.

Pros: Flavorful, rich, and warming. At a good price point with decent distribution.

Cons: Bold flavor profile can be off-putting to some. While there is lots of flavor, there’s not a huge amount of depth to those individual flavors.

Would I buy again? Yes.

Would I recommend this bottle to someone? For the price, yes.

Value Score: Cask strength product at 49.99 = 8.5/10 for me. Only thing holding it back is the general rule of thumb of $10 per year of age.

Overall Score: I’d go with a 7.7/10, it’s really good, especially for the price. It’s not ECBP or close to RR15 level, but it’s good enough to hold it’s own. I would not be upset at all if someone handed me a pour of this. If you are hesitant to pull the trigger on a bottle, i’d for sure try a pour at a bar.