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You must be 21 or over to enter this website. If you're not old enough to drink, then you're not old enough to read Breaking Bourbon.
Please read and drink responsibly.
Classification: Light Whiskey
Company: Austin Craft Spirits Company
Distillery: Austin Craft Spirits Company
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 101
Age: 101 Days
Mashbill: Undisclosed blend of corn, red winter wheat, and malted barley
Color: Light Hay
SRP: $49 / 750mL (2026)
Sweet vanilla | Fresh grain | Kentucky cream candy | Light oak | Butterscotch hard candy
Light grass | Vanilla cream | Faint white peppercorn spice | Young oak | Faint butterscotch
White peppercorn spice | Kentucky cream candy | Faint vanilla | Young oak | Light lingering heat
Delivering more flavors than consumers may initially expect for its age, Austin 101 Light Whiskey ultimately shows Father Time always wins out.
Founded in 2018, Austin Craft Spirits Company is based in Austin, Texas, with a sole focus on producing light whiskey. The company names their products after the proof of their whiskeys, thus Austin 101 is 101 proof. Though no specific mashbill is provided, the company has a large focus on sourcing local, and states that the mashbill is comprised of non-GMO white corn from Texas, red winter wheat sourced from the Texas panhandle, and barley from Texas that's malted in Fort Worth. Aligning further with its name, the whiskey is aged in used bourbon barrels for 101 days.
When a whiskey’s age is stated in days, not years, it can give consumers pause, and rightfully so. In the case of Austin 101 Light Whiskey, consumers may end up being surprised by their initial expectations. While the whiskey doesn’t display the same depth by any means as a well-aged light whiskey like the recent Penelope 18 Year American Light Whiskey, Austin 101 Light Whiskey manages to pull out more flavors than expected.
The whiskey opens with scents of sweeter, candy-influenced flavors that are light but pleasing. The midpoint displays light grass and young oak up front, along with a light dash of spice and sweetness. The youthfulness is most noticeable at this point in the sip, especially in the grass and young oak notes. A dash of sweetness and spice trails off on a light, lingering heat note.
The thing with light whiskey is that, in general, it’s usually on the cheaper side to buy a higher aged bottle. For example, Penelope 18 Year was priced at $100, and the exceptional Onyx & Amber 20 Year Light Whiskey at $130. Age never equates to how well a whiskey should taste; however, at a dollar short of $50, it’s a hard sell for many consumers, especially considering that the sip still shows enough youthfulness to be very noticeable in the midpoint and finish.
