Still Austin iterates again this year with a new bourbon, made with red corn and bottled in bond. It’s the first in a line of four bonded whiskeys that will roll out over the next year, this one made with a mashbill of 36% Jimmy Red corn, 34% white corn, 25% rye, and 5% malted barley. As it’s a bonded whiskey, it’s understood that the final product is (at least) four years old.
Red corn is said to have a richer, nuttier flavor than white or yellow corn, so let’s see how that translates through distillation and on to the finished product.
Update: This whiskey was an instant hit and became an annual release the following year. We’re consolidating all our reviews here so you can follow along with its progress — and compare and contrast tasting notes all in one place.
Still Austin Bottled in Bond Red Corn Bourbon 4 Years Old 2023 Review
Bold from the start, this isn’t a shy whiskey, a fact that is evident from the start. Peppery and nutty, there’s an aromatic thread of mint running through the whiskey’s nose, followed by a slightly charred note evoking mesquite and cardamom. Some cola notes temper any of the more rustic qualities that can be sniffed around the edges.
Initially minty again on the palate, you can certainly taste the corn component here, presenting with the flavor of a nutty, homemade tortilla chip paired with orange peel, toasted sesame (more nuttiness), and a moderate punch of cloves. Chewy vanilla nougat and some cedar notes plump things up as it develops, leading to a finish that features brown sugar and a reprise of black pepper.
Cohesive and immersive from start to finish, it twists your expectations about bourbon just enough to make for a fun, yet familiar, variation on a well-worn theme.
Side note: The whiskey works well in cocktails too. At a launch event earlier this summer, the whiskey was a nice component in a range of classic libations, its nutty qualities providing a bolder richness to many of the drinks.
100 proof.
A- / $80 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]
Still Austin Bottled in Bond Red Corn Bourbon 5 Years Old 2024 Review
Still Austin‘s 2023 bonded red corn bourbon was such a hit that it spawned a sequel: For 2024, Bottled in Bond Red Corn is back, but at 5 years old instead of 4. The mash remains the same: 36% Jimmy Red corn, 34% white corn, 25% rye, and 5% malted barley — as does everything else except the barrel time. This was even produced in the same distillation season as the 2023 release; it’s just lingered in the barrel for an extra year.
There’s obviously a huge amount of family DNA here, but I have to say the extra year of age has made this whiskey even better. The elements of pepper and nuts are still present on the nose, but the mint quality is much stronger, pricking at the nose from the get-go. The touch of char remains omnipresent as well: smoky barbecue beef, well-blackened burnt ends.
Sweet on the palate, there’s a lively caramel corn quality and plenty more mint, chased by cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The baking spice hits hard and stays with you, layered atop a heavy, nutty caramel character that provides a distinctly dessert-like quality. Then a surprising punch of fruit: brown banana, some tart green apple, then passion fruit and a touch of bitter rhubarb. Lots of vanilla is smeared across all of this, the finish taking on a kind of creamy custard quality. A reprise of baking spice keeps your palate alive through the lengthy conclusion.
Racy, spicy, and creamy at once, it’s altogether a delight… and one which comes out ahead of the 2023 four-year-old version by a small margin. (And only $5 more to boot.) The more I drank, the more I enjoyed it. Perhaps my favorite Still Austin release to date. Dare we try for 6 years of age?
100 proof.
A / $85 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]
Still Austin Bottled in Bond Red Corn Bourbon 6 Years Old 2025 Review
The train keeps rolling as these red corn bourbon barrels hit 6 years of age. Same distillate, just a year older. When will the juice run out? Only time will tell.
From the jump, it’s plain to see that Still Austin Red Corn continues to evolve and mature in the best possible way. The notes of charred wood and black pepper on the nose are tempering well, letting a heavy smear of toasted nut butter take center stage. Alternately almond and sesame-driven, the buttery quality is interrupted in short order by plenty of baking spice, particularly nutmeg. There’s some red pepper in the mix too, reminding you this is a 50% abv offering that isn’t at all shy.
The palate keeps the theme. Perhaps a bit less sweet than last year, the notes of brown sugar and caramel here are a bit more smoldering and brooding. Fruit remains a clear theme — baked apples, brown banana, all laced with nutmeg and cinnamon, with some tart grapefruit notes clinging to the back of the palate as the finish makes its way forward. It’s dripping in vanilla and toasted marshmallow notes, and while I didn’t catch (but do miss) the heavy mint component that defines the 2024 release, there’s enough greenery around the edges of the whiskey to keep the theme intact (and make this excellent fodder for your next mint julep).
All told, it’s every bit the winner that the 2024 release was — and while the list price was reasonable, the secret is out on this one, and it’s now tough to find. Expect to pay considerably more on the secondary market, if you can find it. Next year, plan to line up at the distillery on release day!
100 proof.
A / $90 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]
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