Tastes

The best Still Austin whiskey I've tried... not overly spicy and perhaps the smoothest rye I've had.

The bottle needs time to open up: On first opening, it was too boozy with a strong white wine taste making it hard to believe it was 16 year scotch. After opening up, it has mellowed out some of those flavors with Glenmorangie's smooth and buttery notes playing harmoniously with sweet honeysuckle flavors, and it's unlike any other whiskey in your collection. It was #8 on Whiskey Advocate's 2025 list. Might go to 4.25 if it keeps improving.

Update: Seemingly getting worse and more astringent on return trips... Creamy, buttery, worth the cost, but I really want to blind it against the Bernheim Barrel Proofs.

Smooth caramel and light fruit make this a dangerous drinker while being dramatically better than small batch at about the same sub-30 price. The finish is the only missing element, but it’s so light and refreshing, I didn’t need it like you do with cask strength.

For a $55 daily drinker, you cannot go wrong with the vanilla/marshmallow, wood-spice, and slight fruit notes here, unless you have plenty of its older brethren. It has no noticeable flaws, and its best trait might be its double-tap finish of spiced notes.

(Update) Wow, this opened up, and if you like walnut, then it takes an elegant journey across all the palates with also a well-integrated blend of caramel, maple, and a drying tobacco note. It goes down so easy thanks to the slow cut process and could be a steal for msrp. Beware the neck pour!

One of the best American whiskeys I've ever tried. It can compete with Russell's 15.