This Affordable Texas Rye Is Just as Good—If Not Better—Than Kentucky Competitors

Texas is having a big moment in pop culture, from music’s biggest stars like Beyoncè to Netflix’s deep dive into the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders to Western wear’s stronghold on fashion. Matthew McConaughey even convinced fellow movie star Glen Powell to leave Hollywood to return home to their native Texas.

So, it shouldn’t be all that surprising that the Lone Star State is leaving its stamp on the best-stocked bars and liquor stores.

Texas-based distilleries like Garrison Brothers, Iron Wolf Ranch, and Silver Star Spirits have gained respectable space on shelves and buzz among whiskey geeks and hold their own among the Kentucky giants. Earlier this year, Beyoncè even introduced her own brand, SirDavis, which is distilled in Indiana and then sent to Texas to finish in sherry casks before being blended and bottled. 

While these brands have each racked up their fair share of fanfare, there’s another bottle turning heads: Still Austin Whiskey Co,’s Straight Rye, aptly dubbed The Artist. For one thing, the label’s eye-catching artwork by the talented Texan painter Marc Burckhardt truly stands apart from the crowd. More important, of course, is the liquid inside the bottle. At $50 a bottle and with complex notes that are as delicious as biting into a chocolate candied orange, this fiery rye will be my go-to for all holiday festivities this year—particularly because 99.6 proof is a sweet spot for mixing in Manhattans, my family’s preferred cocktail during the cooler months.

Want the latest whiskey news, deals, and reviews? Sign up for the Whiskey Wednesday newsletter.

Behind the masterpiece is much-acclaimed master blender Nancy “The Nose” Fraley. She met Still Austin co-founders, Cleveland and Chris Seals, during one of her whiskey courses back in 2013, and immediately hit it off with the father-son duo. Together, they started with a blank canvas—a dream come true for Fraley.

“I had always wanted to work with a distillery to be there with them to help create the vision before ever distilling a drop of alcohol,” Fraley says.

She was drawn to their concept for building a modern whiskey brand that celebrated Austin and all the creative types who call it home. The Artist represents one of the core personas of Austinites, along with The Musician and The Naturalist. 

“It just struck a chord with me,” says Fraley, who originally hails from Tennessee and is also an amateur guitarist.

Related: Best Irish Whiskey Cocktails to Sip Any Time

A decade later, she and the Seals, along with Still Austin’s head distiller John Schrepel, delivered on that vision. When a sip of The Artist coats the tongue, the flavor palate is as colorful as a painter’s palette. 

“We just wanted to create something entirely unique and not be too influenced by someone else,” Fraley says of her blending process. “You still recognize it as a rye, but also something that is our own.” 

The central Texas locale helps in this regard, too. First, the spirits are made with 100 percent Texas-grown grains like white corn, Brasetto rye, and Wildfire Pale Malt barley. Then, the relentless heat and humidity speed up the maturation process, whereas barrels in the Bluegrass State go dormant during cooler months of the year. 

“When the temperature of the liquid gets to about 45 degrees Fahrenheit or less, maturation stops and stalls,” says Fraley.

The angels must be thirstier in Texas. That means Still Austin’s two-year-old whiskey tastes comparable to a four-year-old Kentucky whiskey. And the accelerated timeline has certainly worked in their favor, as The Artist earned a Double Gold medal in last year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition—only three years after Still Austin began releasing bottles.

Of course, not every drinker may appreciate this maverick approach—nor would I expect them to. After all, the artistic lifestyle isn’t for everyone. Rather, Still Austin’s Straight-Rye Whiskey is for those who, like a true Austinite, prefer to keep it weird.

Looking ahead, Fraley and the Still Austin team plan to ramp up production, experiment with aging, and release a cigar blend. And, just like Texas has left its indelible imprint on fashion, music, and real estate, it’s likely only a matter of time before Texas whiskey does the same for the spirits industry

"We’re always trying to up our game,” Fraley says. “Get ready to see a lot more Still Austin.”

Related: Don't Listen to Whiskey Snobs. Here Are the Best Ways to Enjoy Bourbon