* The Head Distiller is John Schrepel; the Master Blender is Nancy Fraley.
* Locally grown Texas non-GMO grains, primarily white corn, Brasetto rye, and Wildfire Pale malted barley. Elbon rye was used until 2018.
* A sweet mash with a 3-4-day fermentation time.
* A 42-foot Forsyths Scottish-built column still they call “Nancy.” (Named after a character in the horror movie Attack of the 50-Foot Woman). The proof off the still is 130.
* Independent Stave Company is used for their cooperage. Their current releases use barrels with a level #3 char. Future releases are being aged with barrels that are also toasted. Their barrel entry proof is now 116, but for the first few years, it was 118.
* A slow water reduction method is used to proof down their whiskies. This method has been used for centuries by French Cognac, Calvados, and Armagnac producers and was brought to Still Austin by Nancy Fraley.
* Each of their flagship spirit labels features original artwork hand-painted by world-renowned Austin artist Marc Burkhardt.
Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 15 minutes.
Distillery: Still Austin Whiskey Co.
Selected by: Nancy Fraley.
Barrel number: 20180607-4, Barrel dumped, 2/7/24.
Proof: 121.80, non-chill filtered.
Age: 5 years, 8 months, 21 days.
Mash bill: 70% White Corn/ 25% Brasetto Rye/5% Wildfire Malted Barley.
Price: $99.00.
Appearance: Dark golden caramel.
Nose
The nose leads which complex oak flavors of rich crème brûlée, caramelized brown sugar, pralines, butterscotch, and mesquite briquettes. More nosing brings out dates, apricots, and vanilla beans with an herbaceous mix of cloves, sage, and cinnamon spice. The oak is rich and incredible, with a unique mesquite note adding a hint of smokiness. The proof heat on the nose is very moderate.
Palate
The nose transfers to the palate, leading with rich crème brûlée, caramelized brown sugar, butterscotch, pecans, and mesquite. Stone fruit flavors of apricots, with vanilla beans and cloves, come in as a wave of cinnamon spice kicks in, focusing on the back palate with a good medium viscous mouthfeel.
Finish
Cinnamon spice lingers on the back of the palate for a long time. As the spice fades, flavors of butterscotch, apricots, dates, and sage come back into focus, along with mesquite oak and subtle tobacco, for a very long and tasty finish.
Conclusion
This release was as good as I remembered. In addition to the flagship releases I’ve tried at the distillery, I own a Still Austin 116 proof, 2-year Seelbach’s single barrel pick and the Garrett Oliver Pinhook Collaboration Still Austin 118.9 proof, 4-year, 20-barrel small batch. Sampling all three side by side emphasized the consistencies and similarities in their flavor profiles, and the benefit of whiskey spending more time in the barrel. The Pinhook Collaboration is great, with much more fruit and butterscotch (similar to the Still Austin flagship Cask Strength bourbon), but the Single Barrel March Nancy’s Pick is my favorite. What I love the most are the Texas climate-aged oak flavors that show what’s possible from a Still Austin release closer to the 6-year mark. The oak is darker and more complex, with a soft mesquite flavor that gives it a unique character. It’s easy to imagine how much better a Still Austin Cask Strength release would be using an older range of barrels, and from what I’ve seen, that’s the direction they’re headed. In an email this week, John Schrepel said, “I want to set a new standard for what older whiskey in Texas can be. I believe we can age whiskeys to 10 or even 15 years without producing over-oaked or overly tannic products, and I have several ideas that are showing promising results.” I hope they reach that goal someday, but in the meantime, I’m looking forward to tasting what they release along the way.Rating: 7.8.0/10.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
