Still Austin Bottled in Bond 7 Year Bourbon 2025 Review [In Depth]
Still Austin Bottled in Bond 7 Year Bourbon 2025
by: ALEX WANG
Founder, writer
Founder, writer
Still Austin Bottled in Bond 7 Year Bourbon 2025 Details
Distillery: Still Austin
Type & Region: Bourbon, Texas, USA
Alcohol: 50%
Composition: 70% white corn, 25% rye, 5% malted barley
Aged: 6 years
Color: 1.5/2.0 on the color scale (auburn, polished mahogany)
Price: $70-80
From the company website:
For this fall release, represented by the golden stallion, the high-rye content calls to mind the crisp fall air, while the use of white corn conjures visions of autumnal fields—and the spirit’s deep amber coloring recalls the red and gold leaves of the season.
Still Austin Bottled in Bond 7 Year Bourbon 2025 overview
For Fall 2025, Still Austin is back with their Still Austin Bottled in Bond High Rye Bourbon. I’m stoked that Still Austin has the stock and the guts to put a 7 year age statement on one of their bourbons. I can’t say for sure that it’s some of the oldest bourbon they’ve released (probably), but it’s for sure the oldest one that I’ve seen (and will drink) so far.
Every season / quarter Still Austin releases a unique bottled in bond bourbon that highlights a different grain – blue corn, red corn, white corn (Fall), and rye. For Fall / Autumn, Still Austin releases a high rye bottled in bond bourbon made with white corn, although I personally do not consider 25% rye to be “high” rye. Sure, it’s more than the 13% in Wild Turkey and Jim Beam…I don’t know…there’s no official threshold for what is considered “high rye” so it is what it is.
Last year, this release was a 6 year old bourbon, and for 2025 it’s a 7 year old bourbon. While that seems like a bit of a “duh” statement, there’s no guarantee that the next year’s release will be older, but I applaud Still Austin for doing it and I really hope that it will be 8 years old in 2026.
This may sound a bit biased, but the 2024 6 year old release was a memorable and delicious bourbon. Hopefully another year in oak and another year of experience for the team leads to even greater results.
Let’s find out what some of Still Austin’s oldest bourbon has to offer in this Still Austin Bottled in Bond 7 Year Bourbon review.
This bottle was provided at no cost to me. All opinions are still my own.
As an FYI, I bought and use these Glencairn glasses for everything (they’re the best): Glencairn Crystal Whiskey Glass Set of 6, Set of 4, Set of 2, or just one. Full transparency, this is an affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon.
Still Austin Bottled in Bond 7 Year Bourbon 2025 smell
I smell dark caramel, a mix of milk and dark chocolate, dried cherry, vanilla bean / marshmallow, mocha, toasted oak, cinnamon, nougat, orange peel, and a little effervescent nutmeg and tobacco. The fragrant, dark, mature, sweet, dark dried fruit, and oaky scents feel like they come from a 12 year old bourbon.
It’s incredible that Still Austin can craft these scents from a 7 year old bourbon, not to mention from last year’s 6 year old release. There is a slight tell of its younger nature, as the scents are a bit flabby. It also has a pillowy quality to it, as if it were Old Forester minus the banana.
Some of the best older bourbons I’ve had always have a noticeable definition / clarity and sharpness (not in the alcohol burn type of way) to them. It’s tough to explain, but this is so good already.
After swirling and 15 minutes of rest, I still get the same dark caramel, dried cherry, vanilla bean, mix of milk and dark chocolate, roasted oak, cinnamon, candied orange peel, nutmeg, tobacco, and wood varnish.. The scents have a little more vibrant shimmer, possibly from a little more oak spice. The heat is a little riled up here and it takes 18-20 minutes to calm down.
Still Austin Bottled in Bond 7 Year Bourbon smells old and mature. It’s not old and mature in the “dusty” kind of way with a lot of dark fruit, but it does have some “dusty” vibes with the rich, creamy, and chocolatey oak and spice that’s rare to find in modern bourbons.
It could use a more low end fullness and roundness to further elevate the scents, but overall Still Austin Bottled in Bond 7 Year Bourbon is mature beyond its years, fragrant, varied, and complex. Don’t mind if I keep on smelling.
Still Austin Bottled in Bond 7 Year Bourbon 2025 taste and aftertaste
To start, I taste butterscotch, vanilla bean, dark chocolate with a hint of bitterness, roasted oak, dried cherry and red apple peel, mocha, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little tobacco and something lightly earthy and bitter. Just like the scents, this tastes very mature.
In my opinion it could pass for 12 years, possibly even 14 years old, but it’s also not remotely overoaked. The sweetness, oakiness, spiciness, and fruitiness are superbly balanced. The flavors could use a little more vibrance and definition to enhance the experience, but I’m already dumbfounded by this bourbon and how it’s even remotely possible to create something this mature.
The “high rye” part isn’t that obvious. I often associate high rye bourbon with more herbal (e.g., licorice, fennel), and tropical (e.g., pineapple, green grape), and earthy (e.g., caraway seed, pumpernickel) flavors, but it’s subtle at best. This is neither good nor bad, just an observation. Although if I recall, the 2024 releases’ “high rye” content was the same and drank more or less the same.
With “chewing”, I taste rich caramel, vanilla bean, dark chocolate, roasted oak, dried cherry, cinnamon, nutmeg, toasted coconut meat, candied orange peel, coffee, and hints of tobacco, nuts, and toasty bitterness.
Well alright, “chewing” pulls out more body and expressiveness. This is like a spiced and liquor filled dark chocolate candy. I don’t think I would personally try this, but I can imagine the enjoyment and damage you could do by using this in some type of decadent chocolate cocktail. My goodness…my liver hurts thinking about the insanity.
The finish leaves dark caramel, dark toasted oak, cinnamon, dark chocolate, tobacco, vanilla bean, and some dried cherry and coffee. If it isn’t obvious already, this is a dark, roasty, mature, and very pleasant finish that you might consider to also be a “Cigar Blend” like Still Austin Tanager.
The flavors have good body, and great richness and expressiveness, so it’s absolutely a delicious bourbon. The even better version of this would have more dried fruits such as berry, date, and apricot, even fuller flavors, and better definition so the various flavors stand out and pop more.
I’ve unfortunately lost some Glencairn’s while in transit, and that made me very sad. So, I wised up and bought this Glencairn Travel Case that comes also comes with 2 glasses so I don’t need to worry so much about them breaking. I think it’s great, and I think you’ll love it too.
Seriously, if you already have glasses, protect them.
Still Austin Bottled in Bond 7 Year Bourbon 2025 Rating
Still Austin Bottled in Bond 7 Year Bourbon is a must buy if you can find it. I got this bottle months after it was released so who knows how many are left out there, but buy it if you happen to still see one on the shelf still. Don’t question yourself, just do it.
This bourbon overdelivers on the price and age, delivering a unique, refined, and mature experience for just $70-80. It’s not cheap by any means, but it’s worth it. It’s ludicrous that Still Austin can create a 7 year old bourbon that drinks like it’s 12-14 years old AND has a distinct and interesting profile. Truly, it outdoes most of what comes out of Kentucky today. I am so glad that I have a bottle of this.
Still Austin Tanager, an even more expensive Still Austin Bourbon, is more oaky, but it’s a toss up between which one I like more. It’s funny because Tanager is double the price of the 7 year bottled in bond bourbon, but both are excellent bourbons worth buying if you can afford it.
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of another bourbon that is this chocolatey. On that note, this is not for you if you don’t like a lot of oak, roastiness, or a little bitterness in your bourbon. I doubt that will be an issue if you’re an experienced bourbon drinker and have some money to spend
Now for a quick tangent. In my opinion, the tasting notes on the Still Austin website are a bit over the top for my liking. Notes such as “dried dates drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar, and mint chocolate chip ice cream” don’t vibe with me, but the core of their tasting notes are similar to what I experienced. This is a rich, sweet, chocolatey, creamy, roasty, and spicy experience that is sure to please.
Truly well done.
Meet the Author: Alex
I have far too much fun writing about whiskey and singlehandedly running The Whiskey Shelf to bring you independent, honest, and useful reviews, comparisons, and more. I’m proudly Asian American and can speak Cantonese, Mandarin, and some Japanese.
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Shattered glass really sucks, so if you’re on the move, this Glencairn-like stainless steel snifter glass should survive your travels. Full transparency, this is an Amazon affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon.
BrüMate NOS’R, Double-Wall Stainless Steel Whiskey Nosing Glass – 7oz (Matte Black)
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