Best Texas Whiskeys to Try Right Now

Garrison Brothers Small Batch is the flagship bourbon from Garrison Brothers Distillery, a grain-to-glass distillery in the Texas Hill Country. Made from a sweet mash bill of corn, wheat, and malted barley using Texas-grown grains, this Texas Straight Bourbon is aged in new American white oak barrels and bottled at 94 proof. Production takes place entirely on-site, from milling and fermentation through distillation, aging, and bottling. First released in 2010, it remains the foundation of the distillery’s portfolio.

TX Texas Straight Bourbon is produced by Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co., founded in 2010 by Leonard Firestone and Troy Robertson. Introduced in 2016, this wheated bourbon is made using Texas yellow dent corn, red winter wheat, malted barley, and a proprietary yeast strain derived from Texas pecans. It is aged 4 years in charred oak barrels and bottled at 45% ABV.

Ironroot Republic Harbinger 115 Proof is produced at Ironroot Republic Distilling and represents the distillery’s first core release. It is made from a mash bill of heirloom corn varieties—purple, bloody butcher, flint, and non-GMO yellow dent—along with rye. It is bottled without chill-filtration at 115 proof.

Still Austin The Artist Straight Rye Whiskey is produced by Still Austin Whiskey Co., a grain-to-glass distillery founded in 2015. It is made from 100% Texas-grown rye and aged at least 2 years in new, charred American oak barrels. The whiskey is bottled at 99.6 proof. The label artwork, titled The Artist, was created by Texas native Marc Burckhardt. First released in December 2022, it is now available in select US markets.

Rebecca Creek Small Batch Blended Bourbon Whiskey is produced by Rebecca Creek Distillery. It is made from a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. This small batch expression is bottled at 87 proof.

Balcones Brimstone is a smoked corn whiskey produced by Balcones Distilling. Made from 100% Hopi blue corn, the whiskey is smoked using Texas scrub oak, with the smoke applied to the distillate rather than the grain or barrel. It is distilled in copper pot stills, aged in new oak barrels, and bottled without chill-filtration.

Andalusia Stryker Smoked Single Malt is produced by Andalusia Whiskey Co., a grain-to-glass distillery in the Texas Hill Country. For this release, the malted barley is smoked using mesquite, oak, and applewood rather than peat. The whiskey is bottled at 100 proof, with no age statement.

Lone Elm Single Barrel Texas Wheat Whiskey is produced at Five Points Distilling in Forney, Texas, using a mash bill of 90% Texas-grown wheat and 10% malted barley. Each bottling is drawn from an individual barrel selected by the distillery and is bottled at barrel proof (typically around 60% ABV). As a result, proof and flavor will vary by barrel.

Garrison Brothers Balmorhea is a Texas Straight Bourbon from Garrison Brothers Distillery, a grain-to-glass distillery in the Texas Hill Country. It undergoes a double maturation process, aging approximately 4 years in new American oak barrels before being transferred to a second set of new oak barrels for about 1 additional year. The bourbon is bottled at 115 proof and is named for a swimming hole in West Texas. Originally released as an experimental expression, it is now part of the distillery’s core lineup.

Balcones Texas 1 Single Malt is produced by Balcones Distilling. It is made from 100% Golden Promise malted barley and undergoes an extended fermentation before double distillation in copper pot stills. The whiskey is aged in Texas in new American oak barrels with custom toast and char profiles, typically in a mix of 240L and 500L casks. Aged at least 4 years, it is bottled at 53% ABV without chill-filtration.

Milam & Greene Triple Cask Bourbon is a blend of straight bourbons sourced from Texas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The Texas and Kentucky components are distilled by Master Distiller Marlene Holmes and her team using a mash bill of 70% corn, 22% malted rye, and 8% malted barley. The Tennessee component is sourced and made from a mash bill of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley. After aging in their respective states, the whiskeys are blended and further matured in Texas before being bottled at 94 proof.

Still Austin The Musician Straight Bourbon is produced by Still Austin Whiskey Co., a grain-to-glass distillery founded in 2015. It is made using 100% Texas-grown grains, with a mash bill of 70% non-GMO white corn, 25% Elbon rye, and 5% Wildfire malted barley. The whiskey is aged at least 2 years in new, charred American oak barrels. The label artwork, titled The Musician, was created by Texas native Marc Burckhardt and is part of a series celebrating “archetypal” Austinites. First released in Texas in August 2020, it is now widely available nationwide.