One of Texas’s Best Distilleries Is Dropping a Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon With an Uncommon Mashbill
A growing number of craft distilleries are releasing bottled-in-bond whiskeys as their stock comes of age, we reported recently. The latest to do so happens to be one of the best distilleries in the state of Texas—Still Austin is getting read to release its new Red Corn Bourbon, which as you can tell by the name, uses an unusual grain in its mash bill.
For a quick refresher—”bottled in bond” means that a whiskey is aged for a minimum of four years in federally bonded warehouses, bottled at 100 proof, and is the product of one distiller and one distilling season. The term originated with the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897, which was put into place to ensure the quality of whiskey at a time when it was often adulterated with unpleasant additives for flavor and color. Still Austin is a distillery in the Texas capital that was founded in 2015. It’s a relatively small operation, but the taste and character of the whiskey is big enough to make it one of the best craft distilleries in a very crowded field.
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The core lineup consists of bourbon, rye, and cask strength and single barrel whiskeys (along with a gin and various limited releases). The new Red Corn Bourbon is the first of four whiskeys in the Still Austin Seasonal Bottled in Bond Series—forthcoming expressions will include a high rye bourbon, blue corn bourbon, and straight rye, all bottled in bond as well. The mash bill of the Red Corn Bourbon is 36 percent Jimmy Red corn, 34 percent white corn, 25 percent rye, and five percent malted barley. Jimmy Red corn is an heirloom varietal that has been around for centuries, and has been a favorite of Southern chefs for years—Sean Brock used it for grits, pancakes, and cornbread at two of his restaurants in Charleston, according to NPR. Still Austin isn’t the first to distill this grain, however—High Wire Distilling in Charleston has been making whiskey from Jimmy Red corn for almost a decade. But it appears this is a first for the ever-expanding Texas whiskey world.
We had a chance to sample Still Austin’s Red Corn Bourbon for ourselves, and it’s an excellent whiskey. The color is a deep amber-copper mix, with notes of grain, dark fruit, and honey on the nose. The palate is quite sweet, but not saccharine, with notes of fresh orange, maple syrup, vanilla custard, and pecan pie. Finally, there’s just a bit of black pepper spice and a dash of heat on the finish. The label was designed by Marc Burckhardt, whose illustrations have appeared on other Still Austin expressions like The Musician Bourbon. This inaugural summer release features a drawing of a red snake wrapped around a cactus, a whimsical interpretation of the whiskey and its terroir.
Still Austin Red Corn Bourbon (SRP $80) will be available to purchase starting June 17th at the distillery and online later this month. In the meantime, you can find the distillery’s other whiskeys available for purchase at ReserveBar. Consider buying a bottle of The Musician to see how it compares to this new BIB expression for yourself.
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