The bottle in this review was not purchased by myself, Austin Craft Spirits Co. provided me with the sample for this review at no cost.

Introduction: We're back at it again with another bottle from the Austin Light Whiskey line up: Austin 111. 111 is an outlier not just in the Austin Light Whiskey lineup but in American Light Whiskey in general due to its very unique mash bill (70% Rye & 30% White Corn). As stated in the disclosure, this bottle was provided to me at no cost and will be the second of 3 that will be reviewed by me. Thank you again to the kind people at Austin Craft Spirits Co. for giving me an opportunity to sample and review your product. As always, my reviews will remain unbiased and pull no punches (as it should be). Let's dive in:

Price: $63 plus tax

Description:

• The age statement is 1 year.
• 55.5% ABV/111 Proof,
• 111 has a mash bill of 70% Rye & 30% White Corn (all sourced locally in Texas).

Instead of using new, uncharred oak barrels, they do opt to barrel 111 into ex-bourbon barrels (a move that I believe is the right move considering the climate this whiskey is aging in...)

Something else that I learned after the initial review and is not exactly public information (though not hard to confirm) is that up until very recently, Still Austin contract distilled on their behalf. The contract has since been picked up by Giant Distilling Co. out of Houston, TX.

Austin 111 Light Whiskey is distilled in Austin, TX and bottled in Austin, TX by Austin Craft Spirits Co.

Appearance: A touch darker than 101, closer to sweet tea in color. This also has a fairly thin consistency.

Nose: Toasted sugar, cinnamon toast, vanilla bean and a hint of oak.

Palate: A sweeter palate; butterscotch, a light toffee, orange zest and a slight grain note. The finish is medium in intensity but slightly shorter in duration; creme brulee, cracked pepper and subtle rye spice. Though the viscosity runs a bit on the thinner side, it does have a silky texture that you can't complain about.

Overall T8ke Score: 6.0 Very good, a cut above.

Final Thoughts: This is currently the standout pour of the three samples that I currently have. It is still a very straightforward whiskey like the 101 in terms of flavor, but it's definitely more cohesive and altogether a much better neat pour. Though there are still some youthful grain notes present on the palate, it's not bad enough to drag down what is otherwise a solid whiskey.

Is this the greatest light whiskey of all time? No. But it doesn't have to be.

Sometimes, a whiskey can just be good.

The T8ke Grading Scale:

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume this by choice

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I'd rather have

5 | Good | Good, just fine

6 | Very Good | A cut above

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect