Reviews

OH BOY… BARREL No // 26E1446 NEAT NOSE - Very perfumey. This is the best nose on a rye I’ve ever had the pleasure of nosing. This could literally pass as a high dollar perfume on the nose and not whiskey. I get a huge floral impression on the nose with Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Vanilla, and Caramel. PALATE - Silky mouthfeel. Caramel, Vanilla, and soft oak. The palate is a huge letdown as everything is soft and muted. Again with Michter’s, I think the cause is the proof. FINISH - Non-existent to very short. Soft rye spice, Vanilla, and Caramel. I’m literally lost for words. Again, I think the proof is to blame but oh well. BUY? - This was a holy grail rye for me and it’s already overpriced in my opinion at $210 this year. Anyway, I never see it and struggled with myself at buying it for $250. I can’t lie and say I don’t regret it. I do. Hopefully this bottle will open up and get better with time but I doubt it. If you are underwhelmed by low proof whiskies, you’re not missing out big by skipping this one. BUY AGAIN? - I think my fascination with Michter’s stuff is driven by whiskeytubers and influencers. From Shenks, Bomberger’s and now this, I’ve been let down tremendously. But, let’s be fair. If I were to compare this to other low proof offerings, this would probably rank as the best. I think the biggest letdown of this is it’s price. Sure, some of the barrels are well over 10 years but I have no way of knowing how old this barrel is. This review has gone on long enough. I probably won’t buy this again. But then again, I might; hoping that. The barrel proof ryes are better for sure and for less money. Do with that what you will.

NEAT MASHBILL // 70% Texas White Corn, 25% Sonora Soft White Wheat, 5% Wildfire Malted Barley NOSE - Oak, Caramel, Citrus, Blueberries, and Graham Cracker PALATE - Very soft and smooth on the palate. Sweet oak that gives way to Wildflower Honey. There’s a little bit of baking spices that comes through next that is quickly overshadowed by muddled blueberries topped with brown sugar and caramel. FINISH - At first, it seems like the finish will last a long time, but suddenly, all the flavors just drop off a cliff and you just have lingering oak. Dissapointing, but the complexity on the palate makes up for it. BUY? - Buy all Still Austin DRS’s if you can and if you’re lucky! Like all of them, they sell out in 2 minutes. You have to be at the ready when the drop time comes! BUY AGAIN? - Well if you missed out, it’s nowhere near worth the $450 on secondary. It’s good, but not that good. I’d love to see Still Austin bring a wheated mashbill in as part of their core line-up.

NEAT NOSE - Deep, Rich notes of Brown Sugar, Malasses, Maple Syrup, and Charred Oak PALATE -Rich, viscous mouthfeel. Charred Oak and Black Licorice. FINISH - Medium. Herbal, Baking Spices with a flash of Caramel drizzled banana at the very end. With water added (about half a capful), the nose is turned down and the palate is more gentle with notes of vanilla. Next time, I’ll only add a dew drops. I think this will open up in the bottle. BUY? - Yes. BUY AGAIN? - Yes. I think Texas Whiskey is misunderstood. I didn’t like most distilleries at first with the exception of Still Austin. I’m still not a huge fan of Balcones but Still Austin, Garrison Brothers, and IronRoot all make good whiskey; and with an open mind, you may grow to love it like I do. If I had to rate them in order, it would be in that order.

2025 BATCH NEAT NOSE - Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies drizzled in Caramel with Vanilla PALATE - Liquid Thin Mints. The mint is not overpowering. The chocolate and vanilla ride through on the middle of the palate and come across harmoniously. The caramel only shows up briefly on the front of the palate but is quickly overshadowed by the chocolate, mint, and vanilla. FINISH - Long. Minty and Herbal Finish with touches of vanilla. BUY? - Yes. if you like MGP rye turned up to 100. BUY AGAIN? - Yes, future bottlings.

NEAT NOSE - Straight Confectionary Sugar! There’s also alot of Pure Maple Syrup, Honeycomb, and Vanilla. PALATE - Rich, velvety mouthfeel. It’s sweet! The confectionary sugar and maple dominate the palate here. FINISH - Long. The Honeycomb and Vanilla round out the palate with a long and enjoyable finish. BUY? - YES!!! BUY AGAIN? - ABSOLUTELY! I’m not usually a huge fan of overly sweet finished whiskies ( i.e, Rio), but Penelope did something phenomenal with this blend. It’s sweet but it’s not sickeningly sweet. For me, it strikes a perfect balance of being a complimentary dessert pour. It’s the piece of cake that has the perfect amount of frosting; not the cake that has 5 inches of frosting and you just need to scrape some off. This is honestly blending perfection. The low proof doesn’t even hurt it. I truly regret not getting one of these at a higher proof when I had the chance.

2026 Batch NEAT NOSE - Dark Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, Buttercream Vanilla Frosting PALATE - Rich Dark Oak, Rye Spice, Caramel, and Brown Sugar FINISH - Long finish. Bold, sweet oak and vanilla BUY? - It’s on the expensive side for what it is, but yes. BUY AGAIN? - Yes, but not the same batch. It’s good, but not exceptional.

NEAT NOSE - Orange Candy, Red Fruits, Vanilla, Caramel, and Oak PALATE - Silky smooth mouthfeel. Very fruit forward. There’s alot of red and citrus fruits on the palate enveloped in oak, caramel, and vanilla. There’s also a good amount of baking spices and rye spice on the back of the palate. FINISH - Long finish. Everything fades away nicely with the rye spice lingering the most. BUY? - Absolutely. BUY AGAIN? - Yes. Quite a unique and complex pour and a great cigar blend.

BARREL NO // 2974 WAREHOUSE // CN-F RICK No // 32 NEAT NOSE - Caramel Chews and Vanilla PALATE - Silky smooth and delicate mouthfeel. Lots of caramel, subtle spice, and sweet oak. FINISH - Pleasant, but short finish. BUY? - Yes BUY AGAIN? - Yes. It’s nothing special but it’s a really nice sipper.

NEAT NOSE - Lots of deep, dark Brown Sugar and Vanilla PALATE - Viscous, oily mouthfeel with alot of Dark Brown Sugar, Caramel, Vanilla, and Oak FINISH - Long finish of Vanilla and French Oak BUY? - Yes BUY AGAIN? - Yes. This doesn’t re-invent the wheel or anything, but it’s very well rounded and worth it at $70.

NEAT NOSE - Hard Cherry Candy, Vanilla, and Caramel PALATE - Velvety mouthfeel. Notes of Subtle Oak, Juicy Fruit Gum, Vanilla and Pear FINISH - Long, smooth, delicate finish. Delicate fruit leads way to a rye spice kind of finish. BUY? - It’s much better than last year’s. That’s for sure. I still don’t like the price. You gotta decide if it’s worth a shot or not, but you’re not skipping whiskey of the year if you pass. BUY AGAIN? - For $70-80? - Yes. For $135? Absolutely not.