Still Austin Rye Whiskey Review

By Kenrick Thurston-Wilcox

Rating: B

Still Austin Rye
(Credit: Kenrick Thurston-Wilcox)

Since their founding in 2015, Still Austin has strived to capture what life in Austin, Texas is like with each release of their whiskeys. With their base known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Still Austin captured the spirit of their music world in their first release and flagship bourbon, “The Musician.”

For the release of their first rye, “The Artist,” they captured the spirit of the diverse and creative culture that permeates Austin. With feet rooted firmly in their community, they used only Texas-grown grain. This release of straight rye whiskey is bottled at 49.8% ABV and aged for a minimum of two years. If that doesn’t sound like a lot, bear in mind the infamous Texas heat allows the distiller to extract more flavor from the barrel quicker, though also increasing the amount of Angel’s Share (liquid lost to evaporation while aging). *

Working with master blender and consultant Nancy Fraley, they employ what is known as the “Cold Water Reduction” method to proof down their whiskies, an idea that the cognac world has been using for ages. Fraley brought the idea over to whiskey-makers, after working with master distiller Hubert Germain-Robin. Normally distilleries wait until the end of the aging process to proof down their whiskey by adding a large amount of water at once. As a result, the water does not have time to interact with the whiskey, which has the potential to ruin some of the delicate flavors the distiller had striven for. By adding water slowly (over weeks or months) to the spirit in the barrel, Cold Water Reduction allows for time for the water to interact with both the liquid and wood, adding more subtlety while preserving the delicate aromas that are already present.

The Rye
The bottle is true to the name “The Artist” with the label depicting a lady drawing her muse, in this case the Still Austin red bird logo. The liquid is a dark amber with some gold undertones in the glass.

The nose has the traditional spice one expects from a rye whiskey, along with grassy notes. Lemon grass also infuses itself into the aroma, as well as caramel candies. The liquid has more wood taste then expected for being so young, and also has a slight tannic feel. Chocolate is the most prevalent flavor, along with ginger and green apple. There is the traditional rye spice, yet it is subdued and balanced with a smoky taste. Baking spice adds subtlety. The finish lasts a good amount of time, spicy all the way through, and changing to citrus notes after some time.

With a couple drops of water, the whiskey seems to open up more. The nose is less spicy giving more space to the grassy notes. On the palate the spice is almost totally gone, overall less intense flavor, yet well balanced and very enjoyable. The spice comes back on the finish slightly, with a balance of chocolate and citrus. Overall I would say the experience is heightened with some water.

The Price
You can buy Still Austin Rye for $50.

* Editor’s Note: For more on the role on climate in Texas whiskey-making, see our feature on the Garrison Brothers’ production process from 2016.