Still Austin Whiskey Company + Distillery Tour

Still Austin Whiskey Company in Austin, Texas is a renowned craft distillery specializing in small-batch whiskeys made from Texas-grown grains.

I approached booking a distillery tour of Still Austin Whiskey Company with the kind of curiosity that any whiskey enthusiast brings to a new experience, especially one that promises to embrace the local distinct flavors as fully as the distillers in Scotland do.

The tour began promising enough. The inner landscape of the distillery was decorated beautiful and tastefully. Check in was easy and done at the bar. In short order, the tour commenced.

Introductions were mild enough as pleasantries were exchanged. Our tour guide began by explaining the history of Still Austin in detail, as we stood around barrels of whiskey, taking it all in.

Standing at the first stop of the tour, I was excited to learn about the history of the company. Founded in 2015, Still Austin Whiskey truly is one of a kind. The company was established by a group of passionate whiskey lovers led by co-founders Chris Seals, Andrew Braunberg, and Sal and Joanna D’Aquila. Their vision was to create a whiskey that was uniquely Texan, utilizing locally sourced grains and traditional methods of distillation. To achieve this, they partnered with master distiller Nancy Fraley and constructed a grain-to-glass distillery, meaning every step of production, from milling the grains to aging the whiskey, is done in-house. The result is a line of premium spirits that are deeply rooted in the local terroir, showcasing the distinct flavors of Texas.

My initial curiosity and excitement wained the longer we stood in the large barrel storage room. Maybe it was the giant fan that drowned out the tour guide’s voice. Of course, this would have been fixed with a small microphone and speaker.  However, the ambient noise of the fan drowned out his spoken knowledge. Due to this, I couldn’t hear well. Which I think contributed to me getting bored quicker than I expected.

As we tasted the CASK STRENGTH STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY, we learned about the six rickhouses Still Austin Whiskey operates.  A rickhouse, also known as a rackhouse or whiskey warehouse, is a large storage facility where whiskey barrels are aged. In the whiskey-making process, aging in wooden barrels is crucial, as the whiskey interacts with the wood over time, absorbing flavors and undergoing chemical changes that develop its character. Still Austin Whiskey Company uses 6 rickhouses in the area. I imagined them filled with whiskey aging in American Oak barrels.

More interesting facts: Texas bourbon ages faster, due to the heat and overall weather of the region. Another curious note is that the company uses a local Austin artist for the bottle art.

But, the longer we conversed in the storage room, the more I was eager to move on to the next part of the tour. More people drifted into our tour in a haphazard manner, prolonging our stay in the room as they were caught up on previously given information.

After some time, we were led to the second stop – the distillery room.  Seeing the germination canisters was interesting. Here, our guide explained that the canisters were named after famous people in history who loved bourbon. I was greatly amused at the Hunter S. Thompson tank.

In this room, we took a very strong taste of the just distilled 90% GIN. It was potent, to be sure. I also found it fascinating that the base of the gin utilizes unaged rye whiskey, before layering botanicals to create a complex flavor. Also interesting to note is that gin has to be 50% juniper berries to be classified as gin. It was strong and distinct.

Our guide also introduced us to Nancy, the 50 food bourbon still, “named after the whiskey drinking main character from the 1958 sci-fi movie, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman”.

Again, the tour guide was extremely detailed and his knowledge poured out of his mouth. We also learned that Still Austin Whiskey’s discarded mash is fed to cows in the area.

We finished the tour, seated at a long table located to the side of the gift shop.

In total, we sampled: STILL AUSTIN “THE MUSICIAN” STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY,  STILL AUSTIN CASK STRENGTH STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY, STILL AUSTIN “THE ARTIST” STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY and the STILL AUSTIN “THE NATURALIST” AMERICAN GIN.

While at the table, I met a concierge from the Omni Hotel in Austin. I asked her for her recommendation for a unique distillery experience in the area. She suggested Desert Door Distillery in Driftwood. I quickly looked up the history and story of the distillery and promptly made a note to visit during my next trip to Austin.

Now, there is undeniable craft here—the bourbon carried rich notes of caramel, honey, and a certain earthy spice that hinted at the Texas soil from which its grains had sprung. But, as I finished up my final tastes, I was left with realizing that I was actually disappointed in the experience. I had an expectation that simply was not met for the price paid.

It’s not to say that the tour isn’t filled with information. My tour guide was extremely knowledgeable in the info he knew and shared. However, it frankly was not worth the priced paid. I think I expected the level of experience I’ve had at New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado or even the Coors Brewing Tour in Golden, Colorado.

The tour was worth $15, at most – if even $20. Not $30. Why? Honestly, the tasters were mere splashes of samples. Yes, the last two at the table were slightly more. But, again – not enough for the price point. Plus, the tour was essentially being talked at in two rooms for about 50 minutes and then a seated tasting. The flow was off. In my opinion, the stay in the first room should have been MUCH shorter, especially with the noise.

After the experience,  I enjoyed an OLD FASHIONED (Straight Bourbon, Angostura Bitters, Brown Sugar, Orange) and enjoyed it on the patio with an order of fries from Huckleberry .

I still left Still Austin Whiskey and walked to St. Elmo with a sense of respect for the intention and process of the distillery. There’s no doubt that the ingredients are there: the grain-to-glass philosophy is sound, their commitment to sustainability is admirable, and the team’s passion is palpable.

But, come for the drinks and vibe moreso than the tour.

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