2025 Still Austin Bottled in Bond Rye Review [In Depth]
2025 Still Austin Bottled in Bond Rye
by: ALEX WANG
Founder, writer
Founder, writer
2025 Still Austin Bottled in Bond Rye Details
Distillery: Still Austin
Type & Region: Rye whiskey, Texas, USA
Alcohol: 50%
Composition: 100% Texas rye
Aged: At least 4 years old
Color: 1.4/2.0 on the color scale (Tawny)
Price: $80
From the company website:
For this spring release, represented by the rabbit, we used the bright spice of 100% Texas-grown rye to conjure feelings of new beginnings, bold ideas, and fresh perspectives. This is the taste of spring, in all its glory.
2025 Still Austin Bottled in Bond Rye overview
Still Austin is back with its 2nd ever Still Austin Bottled in Bond Rye, the Spring limited release from the Texas distillery. This is 1 of 4 special releases that coincide with the seasons, and the only one that is not bourbon. The other 3 are
- Fall – High rye (white corn)
- Winter – Blue corn
- Summer – Red corn
Now that I think about it, Spring being a rye release makes sense. Spring is associated with green and growth, and for some reason rye often is associated with green. Examples of rye whiskey labels emphasizing green include Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye, Willet Rye, Woodford Reserve Rye, Kentucky Owl Rye, and Old Forester Rye. Of course this is still anecdotal evidence of that association, but it happened to come to mind as I wrote this overview.
Anyways, moving on.
I’m surprised that the 2025 release is the same age as the 2024 release. The subsequent releases of the other 3 in the series (Yellow Corn, Red Corn, and Blue Corn) are 1 year older, but I’m sure that Still Austin has good reason for what they did.
They also stuck with the 100% Texas Brasetto rye mashbill, which is another unique twist that highlights what Texas can do with whiskey. I think everything except the barrels come from Texas.
Let’s find out what this Texas rye has to offer in this 2025 Still Austin Bottled in Bond Rye review.
This bottle was provided to me at no cost. 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.
2025 Still Austin Bottled in Bond Rye smell
I initially smell dark sweetness and herbalness with dense honey, dried fennel and orange peel, cranberry, toasted oak, dried pineapple, clove, cinnamon, and a little mint and earthy caraway seed. The scents don’t quite explode out of the glass, but there’s still a very pleasant roundness and depth to the scents, as well as well controlled heat.
Still Austin Bottled in Bond Rye 2025 is not necessarily the most unique or out there rye, but it already smells like a well matured (even at just 4 years old) rye that focuses more on fruity herbalness with backing oak and spice.
Swirling and 15 minutes of rest open up more with honey, strawberry, licorice, roasted oak, cinnamon, clove, dark baked red apple, pineapple, lychee, some sort of dark oakiness that borders on tobacco. This becomes brighter and more vibrant, which improves the scents, while also maintaining nice darkness and depth.
This definitely smells like rye with the herbal-forward scents, and for me it feels balanced and right. If you don’t like herbal stuff, you’ll still hate this. Still Austin Bottled in Bond Rye 2025 smells great. There’s a wonderful range of sweet, herbal, oaky, oak-spicy, and earthy scents to enjoy.
2025 Still Austin Bottled in Bond Rye taste and aftertaste
I initially taste honey, dried fennel and cranberry, licorice, toasted oak, a lot of cinnamon and clove, then a wave of earthiness, and then some candied pineapple. The flavors are a bit more oaky than the scents are, but there’s an interesting shift in flavors over time that starts sweet, herbal, and fruity, then shifts to a lot of oak, and then quickly shifts to a lot of earthiness, and then to a mix of everything all together.
That’s all great and I like that. At the same time, it’s a little jarring because I don’t expect that rush of earthiness, but I still welcome the constant shift in character. At least for now, I wish for more sweet herbalness and fruitiness, but that may come with chewing.
With “chewing”, I taste bolder honey, cranberry, vanilla, and licorice up front followed by a lot of roasted oak, clove, and cinnamon, then a lot of dry and earthy pumpernickel and oak, plus some mint in the back.
I really dig the rush and shifting of the flavors. Like the first time around, it starts sweet and herbal, then changes to oak, and then to a lot of earthiness. For 4 years and 50% ABV, Still Austin Bottled in Bond Rye 2025 has plenty of flavor, body, and character. It hits all these bright, dark, fruity, oaky, and earthy notes, which make it feel far older than 4 years old.
The finish leaves earthy and toasty sweet fennel, orange peel, roasted oak, cinnamon, clove, and cranberry. It’s surprisingly very oaky and earthy with some herbal sweetness in the back.
I still wish that it had a little more fruit + pop and a little less earthiness (just my personal preference), all of which hopefully comes with more age, but overall this is great.
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 Rye Rating
Still Austin Bottled in Bond Rye 2025 another winning whiskey that provides a rich, varied, and balanced experience. It’s worth the price. My only real critique is that the flavors are a smidge more earthy than I’d prefer, but I can overlook that because the overall experience is still so good.
I’m curious how a 5 or 6 year old version of this would drink, and hopefully we find out in 2026 because I’m excited to find out just how great the rye can be.
If you’re looking for a $70-80 rye, this is one to consider.
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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