One of the best craft distilleries in the country, Still Austin, just announced the release of an excellent new rye whiskey. This spirit is the latest expression in the Texas distillery’s Bottled in Bond series, and like previous drops, it’s a fantastic new bottle that is perfect for sipping or using in cocktails.
There are many good distilleries in the state of Texas, but Still Austin is one of the best. Founded in 2012, the brand has been making superb bourbon and rye in an industrial part of the state’s capital for well over a decade. The core expressions consist of the Musician Bourbon and the Artist Rye, along with some cask-strength versions of both expressions. The Bottled in Bond series launched in June of 2023, and it consists of seasonal vintage expressions of both bourbon and rye whiskey (the last one, released in the winter of 2024, was the Blue Corn Bourbon).
A year ago we covered the distillery’s Bottled in Bond Rye, the fourth release in the series that was made from a mashbill of 100 percent Texas-grown grain. As a reminder for those that need it: Bottled in bond means that the whiskey is at least 4 years old; aged in federally bonded warehouses; bottled at exactly 100 proof; and the product of one distillery and one distillation season. The spring 2025 rye in the series adheres to all of these guidelines, and it’s made from a mashbill of 100 percent Brasetto rye (a specific varietal) that was grown in Texas.
As far as how it differs from last year’s release, there are a few key changes. The 2024 edition was bottled at just over 4 years old, while this year’s release is a mixture of 4- and 5-year-old barrels. But the biggest change has to do with the slow water reduction process used by the distillery, in which water is added to barrels as they age instead of after dumping them.
“For the 2025 Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey release, we took a different approach to slow water reduction than in previous expressions,” said head distillery John Schrepel in a statement. “We gradually brought the barrels down to 105 proof over time and let them rest at that proof for a full year. This process softened the tannins, resulting in a smoother, richer mouthfeel while enhancing the bright fruit notes on the nose.”
We got to an early taste of the whiskey, and it’s another winner with notes of dark chocolate, black pepper, maple fudge, black oolong tea, toasted almond, cinnamon, and ginger on the palate. Artist Marc Burckhardt designed the label art; he also dreamed up the labels for the core lineup. Still Austin Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey spring 2025 isn’t available to purchase online at the moment, unfortunately, but you can find it at stores and the distillery itself while supplies last (SRP $80). The rest of the lineup, including some past BIB expressions, is available to purchase from websites like ReserveBar.
