Butterscotch | Sugarcane | Light cinnamon | Vanilla | Light toasted oak

Popcorn | Honeycomb | Cornbread | Hint of lemon & candied orange | Sweet

Burnt sugar | Caramel corn | Hint of hickory wood | White peppercorn | Spicy grain

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 111 is 111 proof. Unlike Austin 101 and Austin 121, the mashbill is provided and is made with 70% Texas rye, 30% non-GMO Texas white corn, aged a year in used bourbon barrels, and undergoes a slow proof reduction to 111 proof.

With the rise in light whiskey’s popularity (whiskey distilled between 160-190 proof and aged in used or uncharred new oak containers), there are more companies releasing light whiskey products than ever before. The problem is, the majority of them are sourced from MGP (or similar products from the occasional Canadian distillery, though legally it cannot be called “light whiskey”), and most contain a high percentage of corn in the mashbill, often 99%-100%. Austin Craft Spirits Company is looking to change that with a line of in-house distilled light whiskey products. The problem is, they’re a young company with whiskey with very low age statements in a segment of the market that typically offers light whiskey north of 17 years old. With an age-obsessed customer base, how do they leave their mark?

Austin 111 Light Whiskey opens with an instantly appealing aroma. Rich butterscotch, sugarcane, against cinnamon, vanilla, and toasted oak create a complementary pairing. The palate is quite sweet thanks to popcorn, honeycomb, and hints of light citrus lemon and candied orange. Though the whiskey lacks a considerable mouthfeel, the flavors carry a good amount of impact. The finish is a mix of sweet, spicy, and grainy. Rich burnt sugar and caramel corn form the core, with a gentle thread of light hickory wood adding a faint smoky depth. The sip ends with white peppercorn spice and spicy grain.

Given light whiskey's popularity, it’s great to finally have a newcomer enter the category. At this time, the company is simply up against father time. It’s unlikely that Austin Craft Spirits Company’s light whiskey is going to be able to go toe-to-toe with ultra high-aged light whiskeys that Penelope and Onyx & Ambler are releasing. Instead, the company has to come into the market in a different direction. Given the whiskey’s low age, those distinctions aren’t apparent yet, but the foundation is laid to hopefully be improved upon. Where they go from here is where the fun begins for whiskey drinkers.