In the world of whiskey, plenty of bottles get labeled as "cigar blends." Most of them take a straightforward path: finish the spirit in some exotic barrel to pick up flavors that play nice with smoke. But one Texas distillery decided to break from the pack and try something far less common. Still Austin, tucked away in an industrial corner of the state capital, just released the second edition of its Tanager Cigar Blend Bourbon. And instead of relying on secondary casks, they turned to an old Cognac technique that changes the game.
Still Austin has been turning heads for more than ten years now. The team there crafts bourbon and rye right on site, from grain to glass. A couple of years back they started a Bottled in Bond series that quickly earned respect among serious whiskey drinkers. Those releases have to meet strict rules: at least four years old, bottled at exactly 100 proof, and all from one distillery in a single season. Each one brings something different to the table, sometimes built around rare heirloom corn varieties in red or blue.
The new Tanager stands apart from everything else they make. Master blender Nancy Fraley and master distiller John Schrepel put real thought into every step. They started with six-year-old bourbon—some of the oldest spirit the distillery has ever bottled—made from a mash that includes red, white, and blue corn along with rye and malted barley. Six years already gives it depth, but they weren't finished.
Here's where things get interesting. They used a method borrowed from Cognac and Armagnac producers called petites eaux, which means "small waters." The bourbon gets pulled from its original barrels, cut all the way down to 50 proof—basically 25 percent alcohol—and then goes back into barrels for another full year of aging at that low strength. The distillery crew sometimes calls this diluted spirit "fortified water." When it's ready, they blend it back in to add caramelized wood sugars and stretch out the finish on the palate.
The final makeup of this year's Tanager breaks down to 53 percent blue corn bourbon, 25 percent red corn bourbon, and 22 percent white corn bourbon. It comes out of the barrel and into the bottle at 107.5 proof. On the nose and palate, expect notes of cherries jubilee, butterscotch, roasted applewood, white pepper, and fresh pecan. The finish brings marjoram, pink peppercorn, and black cardamom.
This isn't an everyday pour. At $150 a bottle, Tanager sits at the top of Still Austin's lineup. Each bottle arrives in a custom box featuring original artwork by Marc Burkhardt, and it comes with a special metal stopper that feels solid in the hand. The attention to detail shows from the liquid all the way to the packaging.
Of course, nobody says you have to light up a cigar to enjoy it. The whiskey stands strong on its own. But if you do like to pair a good smoke with your bourbon, the way this one was built—from the heirloom corn to the petites eaux step—makes it a natural companion. Those caramelized sugars and extended finish seem designed to hold their own against cigar smoke without getting lost.
You can pick up Tanager right now at the distillery in Austin or through select retailers across the country. The rest of Still Austin's lineup, from their core bourbon to the seasonal Bottled in Bond releases, is easy to find on sites like ReserveBar.
For anyone who has spent years chasing the right bourbon to enjoy on the porch after a long day, this release deserves a close look. It's proof that craft distilleries are still finding new ways to work with old traditions—and sometimes coming up with something that feels completely fresh. If you're building a shelf of standout American whiskeys, the new Tanager has earned its spot.
