Still Austin The Musician Cask Strength

I always doubted. Still Austin, the Texas thing gave it a bad name, i thought. I have now had 2 bottles of Still Austin juice, and it's turned into my favorite butbon. Uniquoen sweet, easy sipper. I think it tastes better with some water or on ice, but that's just my pallet. Vanilla ice cream bomb!

An intense Straight Bourbon Whiskey that is crafted in Texas with local grain. It has a mash bill of 70% white corn, 25% rye & 5% malted barley; aged for a minimum of 2 years in American white oak barrels before being bottled at 118 proof. It has a delicate birth with notes of grain, wood, fruit, nuts, herbs & baking spices; while a rich life adds notes of brandied cherries, grilled peaches, blackberry cobbler, muddled mint, dark brown sugar & butterscotch; that leads to a long & hot death with notes of pecan pie, cinnamon toast, nutmeg, clove & rye. August / November 2023

Purchased at Total Wine, Spokane, WA, $68, June 2024, after tasting a sip at the store. Aged at least 2 years, bottled at 118 ABV. Tasted neat. Beautiful red copper color and strong coating legs in the glass. Nose is strong and rich--floral oak, vanilla, maple syrup, caramel corn, sweet grass, and some ethanol. That's the best part of this taste. In the mouth, thin white sugar (think sweet leche cake or maple flavored syrup/candies at best, but not brown sugar or caramel as other reviews note), vanilla oak and leather tannins, cherry, baking spice, followed by an ethanol bloom. Mouthfeel starts sugar thin, becomes oily coating, but of that sweet profile. Finish remains sweet, but turns grassy spicy with pepper, and then a little sour cherry in the background. Long finish. An ice cube softens that white sugar sweetness and tames (but doesn't erase) the tannic ethanol. I was skeptical about this whiskey because of the 2 year age statement and price, but the tiny taste I had in the store changed my mind. More leisurely tasting reveals some of the youthful flaws--the thin sweetness and tannic ethanol. Don't get me wrong, this is still a really interesting whiskey, and I can appreciate it for what it is, but it's a distillate that will only improve with more time in charred oak, developing a deeper caramelized brown sugar and grain sweetness.

Nose: Loads of brown sugar and orchard fruits Palate: Oak and spice with brown sugar, caramel, mildly tannic Finish: Medium finish with little to no burn, brown sugar and tobacco round out the finish

I got this bottle (a fifth) for $49.99 at the Uptown Total Wine store here in Albuquerque. It's 116 proof, has a two year age statement, and is dark copper in the glass. The mash bill is 70% white corn, 25% rye, and 5% sprouted barley. NOSE: Over a number of dives into the glass I got dark caramel, something that I can only characterize as warm, green leaves, brown sugar, eucalyptus, butter, bread, musty corn, and cornbread. MOUTHFEEL: Heavy and creamy - I thought of saying oily, but it doesn't quite fit that word. TASTE: Again it took several sips for me to get caramel, brown sugar, butter, honey, milk chocolate, and red pepper. FINISH: Medium, with milk chocolate, a little red pepper, and a little oak. SUMMARY: The nose and palate are so complex that it's hard to pick out specific notes - but it's DELICIOUS. This is everything the Musician promises but doesn't deliver. This is excellent whisky. RATING: My hick system has eight levels, with 8 being the highest. I give this that eighth rating, Mighty Fine. That comes out to 5 stars, or 100/100 or 10/10.

Sweet and spicy wood nose. Earthy oak, sweetened char, barrel spice, nutmeg, burnt sugar. Good feel. Texas tingle finish. A step up from the standard.

Hits me just right with deep traditional bourbon flavors and surprisingly, not too much heat for a full proof, even though this review is right off the neck pour. Will definitely buy again at this price.