Still Austin 2026 Bottled-In-Bond Straight Rye

The Still Austin Bottled-in-Bond Series has been one of our favorite things in craft whiskey over the last few years, so we were excited to see the return of their Bottled-in-Bond Straight Rye. We are huge fans of this Texas distillery for the way it showcases Texas-grown grains and the thoughtful blending touch of Nancy Fraley. 

For each label in the series, internationally acclaimed artist Marc Burckhardt, the painter behind Still Austin’s flagship labels, uses imagery to capture the distinct moods of summer, fall, winter, and spring. Each season is represented by its own animal and color, creating a cohesive visual story across the lineup.

For this spring release, represented by the rabbit, they used the bright spice of 100% Texas-grown rye to conjure feelings of new beginnings, bold ideas, and fresh perspectives. For us, we think this is one of the most slept on releases in the Bottled-in-Bond lineup, and up there as one of the best ryes to release so far in 2026.

The nose opens rich and aromatic with muddled mint, cedar, toasted orange peel, and lemon zest, before moving into darker layers of honey, maple syrup, buttered toffee, green tea, vanilla, and charred oak. 
 
The palate starts buttery and fruity: lemon pound cake, maple, mango, salted caramel, and baked apples. There’s ample oak as it develops, with sweet tea and a myriad of herbal and spiced notes starting to show toward the end of the sip.
 
The finish feels richer than its 100 proof, lingering with sweet caramel, vanilla, blackberry, fresh ripe plums, and softer candied herbal notes, before closing with pink peppercorn, rich leather, and charred oak.