grown grains. Masterfully aged in the wild Texas Weather.
Texas Whiskey
at still austin whiskey co. we make our whiskey
ourselves...
nothing brings people together like whiskey
It all started in 2012. Cleveland Seals was looking for a post-retirement project to occupy his time and had the wild idea to start a whiskey distillery. Cleveland shared his dream with his son, Chris, and asked for his help.
Chris —a longtime economist and risk manager— knew all too well how difficult it would be to bring his Dad's dream to life. Looking at the risks, Chris thought that the chances of success were pretty low, but he liked the idea of spending time with his dad, so he suggested to Cleveland that they do a “feasibility study.” The supposed “study” would ostensibly determine the chances of success in starting an Austin-based whiskey distillery, but secretly, Chris’s real plan was just to spend time with his dad, get him settled into retirement, and after having a lot of fun, decide not to actually do it.
Over the course of the next year, that is exactly what Cleveland and Chris did. The two traveled together, visited whiskey distilleries, and had a lot of fun drinking whiskey together. Prior to this “study” the father-son duo rarely talked with one another, but they soon found themselves talking every day. And not just talking about business. After a few whiskeys they were talking about everything -- even their feelings! As Chris says, “it was the best thing that ever happened to me and my dad.”
Then, as fate should have it, in 2013 state laws in Texas changed. The changes made it easier to open a craft Bourbon distillery in Texas, and also made it likely that a Texas Whiskey category would emerge. Having devoted a year to studying the market, the two realized they just might be at the right place at the right time. They assembled a team of local farmers, whiskey experts, local artists, and crazy co-conspirators — and together with the support of their whole community, Still Austin Whiskey Co was born.
The distillery broke ground in 2014 and began distilling in 2017 (yes, it took three years to build this special distillery). In 2020, Still Austin's first straight bourbon whiskey was released. Over the past decade, Cleveland and Chris discovered the power of believing in a special future - especially for someone you love. Cleveland's dream came to life as an authentic Texas whiskey, made from grain to glass in Austin, Texas. Together we make whiskey for everyone: the musicians, the visionaries, the lovers, the scientists, the oddballs, the artists, and the everyday dreamers.
Chris —a longtime economist and risk manager— knew all too well how difficult it would be to bring his Dad's dream to life. Looking at the risks, Chris thought that the chances of success were pretty low, but he liked the idea of spending time with his dad, so he suggested to Cleveland that they do a “feasibility study.” The supposed “study” would ostensibly determine the chances of success in starting an Austin-based whiskey distillery, but secretly, Chris’s real plan was just to spend time with his dad, get him settled into retirement, and after having a lot of fun, decide not to actually do it.
Over the course of the next year, that is exactly what Cleveland and Chris did. The two traveled together, visited whiskey distilleries, and had a lot of fun drinking whiskey together. Prior to this “study” the father-son duo rarely talked with one another, but they soon found themselves talking every day. And not just talking about business. After a few whiskeys they were talking about everything -- even their feelings! As Chris says, “it was the best thing that ever happened to me and my dad.”
Then, as fate should have it, in 2013 state laws in Texas changed. The changes made it easier to open a craft Bourbon distillery in Texas, and also made it likely that a Texas Whiskey category would emerge. Having devoted a year to studying the market, the two realized they just might be at the right place at the right time. They assembled a team of local farmers, whiskey experts, local artists, and crazy co-conspirators — and together with the support of their whole community, Still Austin Whiskey Co was born.
The distillery broke ground in 2014 and began distilling in 2017 (yes, it took three years to build this special distillery). In 2020, Still Austin's first straight bourbon whiskey was released. Over the past decade, Cleveland and Chris discovered the power of believing in a special future - especially for someone you love. Cleveland's dream came to life as an authentic Texas whiskey, made from grain to glass in Austin, Texas. Together we make whiskey for everyone: the musicians, the visionaries, the lovers, the scientists, the oddballs, the artists, and the everyday dreamers.
TEXAS VS. EVERYONE
Everybody knows that really great whiskey HAS to come from Kentucky, right?
And everybody knows bourbon HAS to come from Bourbon County, right? Right?
Everybody is wrong.
The truth is great whiskey can come from anywhere, and great bourbon can come from anywhere in the United States (as long as you follow the rules).
Dozens of fantastic whiskeys have popped up over the last few years from all over the world, even from places as far away from the U.S. as Australia. As whiskey making has grown more popular, people from all over the world have learned how to make great
whiskey, and Texas is leading the way.
Whiskey tends to take on the flavors and characteristics of the area from which it was made. In wine making, that’s called terroir, and since we make 100% of our whiskey from Texas grown grains, grown by Texas farmers, and aged in the Texas Hill Country, you can be sure that inside every bottle of Still Austin Whiskey is a little taste of our home. (and it tastes great) But don’t just take our word for it.We work with some of the best in the business to fully leverage Texas grown grains and the erratic Central Texas weather to make the best whiskey to ever come out of the state. (and maybe a few others too)
Everybody is wrong.
The truth is great whiskey can come from anywhere, and great bourbon can come from anywhere in the United States (as long as you follow the rules).
Dozens of fantastic whiskeys have popped up over the last few years from all over the world, even from places as far away from the U.S. as Australia. As whiskey making has grown more popular, people from all over the world have learned how to make great whiskey, and Texas is leading the way.
Whiskey tends to take on the flavors and characteristics of the area from which it was made. In wine making, that’s called terroir, and since we make 100% of our whiskey from Texas grown grains, grown by Texas farmers, and aged in the Texas Hill Country, you can be sure that inside every bottle of Still Austin Whiskey is a little taste of our home. (and it tastes great) But don’t just take our word for it.We work with some of the best in the business to fully leverage Texas grown grains and the erratic Central Texas weather to make the best whiskey to ever come out of the state. (and maybe a few others too)
the art of
texas whiskey
Right from the start, we set out to create a different kind of whiskey brand. We wanted to build a brand that reflected the craftsmanship and artistry that goes into making grain to glass whiskey while also representing the vibrant, creative soul of the city from which is was born. Take one look at any of our whiskey labels, and that’s pretty apparent.
Each of our flagship spirit labels features original artwork hand-painted by world-renowned Austin artist, Marc Burkhardt. The Musician, The Artist, and The Naturalist are are all inspired by the archetypes of Austin which share our spirit of creativity.
We mill, mash, distill, barrel, age, and bottle every drop of our whiskey ourselves in Central Texas. This painstaking labor love begins with our grains. 100% of our grains are grown in Texas, by Texas farmers. No grain from any other state or country is ever used in our whiskeys.
Not too many other distilleries are able to make whiskey from grain to glass, and NO other distillery is as dedicated to our level painstaking perfection. As we said before, it might not be the easiest way to make whiskey, but it is the right way. That’s how we make whiskey that’s as beautiful inside as it is out.
Each of our flagship spirit labels features original artwork hand-painted by world-renowned Austin artist, Marc Burkhardt. The Musician, The Artist, and The Naturalist are are all inspired by the archetypes of Austin which share our spirit of creativity.
But as they say, beauty is only skin deep.
We mill, mash, distill, barrel, age, and bottle every drop of our whiskey ourselves in Central Texas. This painstaking labor love begins with our grains. 100% of our grains are grown in Texas, by Texas farmers. No grain from any other state or country is ever used in our whiskeys.
Not too many other distilleries are able to make whiskey from grain to glass, and NO other distillery is as dedicated to our level painstaking perfection. As we said before, it might not be the easiest way to make whiskey, but it is the right way. That’s how we make whiskey that’s as beautiful inside as it is out.
cultivating
Beauty
Our primary grains; white corn, brasetto rye, and wildfire malted barley, are grown throughout North and West Texas, mostly from Lonestar Family Farms. Lonestar is a third generation Texas family farm, focussed on conservation, organic growing and family-oriented business practices. These farmers are setting the bar for family-owned agriculture. While many distilleries use commodity grains like yellow dent corn or Canadian winter wheat, Still Austin’s uses only Texas-grown grains from these farms, which are often organic and always non-GMO.
sustainable barrels
When our whiskey is ready to age, we place it in our sustainably sourced white oak barrels. The barrels are toasted first, and then given a level 3 char. This helps to prime the barrel, making it easier for the whiskey to draw out more desirable flavors from the wood. Charring the barrel releases caramelized wood sugars and aldehydes that give our whiskey its signature, sweet vanilla flavor.
state-of-the-art distillation
Once we’ve milled and mashed our grains, our state-of-the-art column still, Nancy, takes over. Nancy was custom made by world-famous still manufacturer Forsyths in Scotland to the exact specifications of our Master Distiller, Mike Delavonte. Named after the titular character in the cult-cassic sci-fi horror film, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. Nancy is so massive, to install her at our distillery, we had to cut a hole in our roof and drop it in with a crane.
taming the wild texas weather
After the whiskey is barreled, we activate our secret weapon, the wild Texas weather. Anyone who’s spent time in Texas knows that our weather swings are that of legend, (our record is 56 degrees in 24 hours). As the old saying here goes, “If you don’t like our weather, wait a minute.”
Through years of trial and error, our Head Distiller, John Schrepel has learned to fully leverage these weather swings and age our whiskey to perfection. With these rapid temperature changes, our whiskey expands and contracts in our barrels at much higher rates than in other climates. It is because of these erratic climate swings, that our whiskeys are able to take on many more complex flavors and characteristics so much quicker than anywhere else.
slow water reduction
As the Texas weather works its magic, as much as 15% of the spirit in the barrel can evaporate in the first year alone. To keep our whiskey in proper balance, our distillers employ an ancient process called slow water reduction or ‘elevage.’ This deeply complex process was developed in the brandy-making regions of Cognac and Armagnac in France and brought to us by our Master Blender, Nancy Fraley, who spent years in this region learning from masters of their craft. During this process, over the course of several months, we constantly monitor and add very small amounts of water to aging barrels to help reduce the impact of smokey phenolic compounds and break down more soluble sugars from the oak.
cultivating
Beauty
Our primary grains; white corn, brasetto rye, and wildfire malted barley, are grown throughout North and West Texas, mostly from Lonestar Family Farms. Lonestar is a third generation Texas family farm, focussed on conservation, organic growing and family-oriented business practices. These farmers are setting the bar for family-owned agriculture. While many distilleries use commodity grains like yellow dent corn or Canadian winter wheat, Still Austin’s uses only Texas-grown grains from these farms, which are often organic and always non-GMO.
sustainable
barrels
When our whiskey is ready to age, we place it in our sustainably sourced white oak barrels. The barrels are toasted first, and then given a level 3 char. This helps to prime the barrel, making it easier for the whiskey to draw out more desirable flavors from the wood. Charring the barrel releases caramelized wood sugars and aldehydes that give our whiskey its signature, sweet vanilla flavor.
state-of-the-art distillation
Once we’ve milled and mashed our grains, our state-of-the-art column still, Nancy, takes over. Nancy was custom made by world-famous still manufacturer Forsyths in Scotland to the exact specifications of our Master Distiller, Mike Delavonte. Named after the titular character in the cult-cassic sci-fi horror film, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. Nancy is so massive, to install her at our distillery, we had to cut a hole in our roof and drop it in with a crane.
taming the wild
texas weather
After the whiskey is barreled, we activate our secret weapon, the wild Texas weather. Anyone who’s spent time in Texas knows that our weather swings are that of legend, (our record is 56 degrees in 24 hours). As the old saying here goes, “If you don’t like our weather, wait a minute.”
Through years of trial and error, our Head Distiller, John Schrepel has learned to fully leverage these weather swings and age our whiskey to perfection. With these rapid temperature changes, our whiskey expands and contracts in our barrels at much higher rates than in other climates. It is because of these erratic climate swings, that our whiskeys are able to take on many more complex flavors and characteristics so much quicker than anywhere else.
slow water
reduction
As the Texas weather works its magic, as much as 15% of the spirit in the barrel can evaporate in the first year alone. To keep our whiskey in proper balance, our distillers employ an ancient process called slow water reduction or ‘elevage.’ This deeply complex process was developed in the brandy-making regions of Cognac and Armagnac in France and brought to us by our Master Blender, Nancy Fraley, who spent years in this region learning from masters of their craft. During this process, over the course of several months, we constantly monitor and add very small amounts of water to aging barrels to help reduce the impact of smokey phenolic compounds and break down more soluble sugars from the oak.
