The State of Texas Spirits

L

Longhorn_Fan68

1,000+ Posts
It all started with Tito's. By my count (and was I no was exhaustive in my research) there are now 21 different Texas-made (or owned, see below) liquors out there and a few on the way. Texas has come a long and seems to be putting some seriously good products on the shelves.Here is my account of what's available and some quick reviews:On the Shelves:Misc. Liquors/Liqueurs
Paula's Texas Lemon Liqueur
PaulasLemon.jpg
The Link

Have not tried this yet.

$21.77 per 750mL bottle at Spec's (prices from the website, store location prices may vary)


Paula's Texas Orange Liqueur
PaulasOrange.jpg
The Link

Very tasty orange liqueur. Been a while since I had it but it has very nice flavor. Goes very well in Mexican Martinis, margaritas or even by itself.

$21.77 per 750mL bottle at Spec's


Balcones Rumble
BalconesRumble.gif
The Link

Have not had a chance to try this. Will very soon. Sounds tasty.

$35.78 per 750mL bottle at Spec's


Rums

Railean Texas Rums
Railean.gif
The Link

Railean makes, in my opinion, one of the best rums I've ever tasted. I am not a rum expert by any stretch of the imagination but their basic white rum is awesome. Very clean, smooth and best of all, inexpensive. They also have a Reserve XO and a Blue Label Reserve that I have not tried yet.

Railean White is $15.56 per 750mL bottle at Spec's
Railean Reserve XO is $18.94 per 750mL bottle at Spec's
Railean Blue Label Reserve is $28.41 per 750mL bottle at Spec's


Treaty Oak Platinum Rum
TreatyOakRum.jpg
The Link

Very good rum. I thought it was a little pricey when it first came out which kept me from being a repeat buyer. However, it appears the price has come down a little bit more in line to where it should be. Still, I thought it was a very tasty rum - good for sipping.

$22.99 per 750mL bottle at Spec's


Tequilas

Dulce Vida Tequila
dulcevidatequila.jpg
The Link

I saw an advert for this tequila this weekend at Guero's. Can't find much else about it other than the company's social networking pages. Will investigate.

Republic Tequila
RepublicTequila.jpg

RepublicTequila-Texasbottles.jpg
The Link

I just found out about these tequilas. Apparently it is made in the Tequila region of Mexico (therefore a true Tequila) but the company is based out of Texas (Austin, in fact) so this would qualify as a Texas tequila in my book. Hell, they have Texas-shaped bottles so that has to count for something.

Republic Tequila - Plata is $38.94 per 750mL bottle at Spec's
Republic Tequila - Reposado is $44.42 per 750mL bottle at Spec's
Republic Tequila - Anejo is $49.41 per 750mL bottle at Spec's

Z Tequila
g src="http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h250/ledzep6869/ZTequila.jpg">The LinkMuch like Republic Tequila this product is made in Mexico but is a Texas company. Will have to try it out.The website claims it's available at both Twin Liquors and Spec'd but I can't find pricing information on either site.VodkasDripping Springs Vodka
dripping_springs_vodka.jpg
The Link

My new staple. It used to be Tito's, but I think Dripping Springs is just a little bit better. But I wouldn't turn either down.

$17.40 per 750mL bottle at Spec's


Savvy Vodka
savvyvodka.jpg
The Link

Have not tried this yet.

$23.66 per 750mL bottle at Spec's


Tito's Handmade Vodka
titos-handmade-vodka.jpg
The Link

The one that started it all. Can't go wrong with it. Tip of the hat to Tito for being a Texas pioneer.

$12.03 per 750mL bottle at Spec's

Y Vodka
FROSTED-BOTTLE_PLAIN.jpg
The Link

Just heard about this one. Have not even seen it yet.

Not featured at Spec's yet.


Whiskey

Balcones Baby Blue
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The Link

I have a bottle at home and have just started it. It's good. But it's also
different than anything I've ever had. I want to continue to drink to get a better feel for it.

$35.78 per 750mL bottle at Spec's


In the Works

Gin

Texas GinThe Link

Don't know much about this other than the guy is in Austin and it's coming. Sounds interesting.


Rum

Temptryst Rum

Can't find much about this other than it's being made and they're waiting for FDA approval. Their website isn't even up. But if you google the name you'll find reviews. Made in Austin and sounds tasty.


Whiskey

Garrison Brothers Texas Bourbon
GarrisonBrosBottle-1.jpg
The Link

I'm so ******* excited about this Bourbon I can hardly stand it. Won't be available until 2010 at the earliest. The distillery is in Hye, Texas, which is not too awful far from Austin. Me and some of my buddies are considering taking a field trip.


Balcones Single Malt and Peated Single MaltThe Link

Damn excited about these too.

If you are aware of any I missed, let me know.
 
How can they call something a "Texas Bourbon"?

I thought that in order to be a "Bourbon", it had to come from Kentucky. Maybe a "Bourbon style whiskey from Texas", but not "Texas Bourbon".

Set me straight. Thanks.
 
I saw a show on the History Channel that was all about liquor that said (and I am working from memory here so be kind) that in order for something to be considered bourbon it had to be distilled from at least 50% corn and aged in charred oak barrels for a minimum amount of time (two or three years?)

And while it acknowledged that most bourbon comes from Kentucky it is not neccesary to do so be considered bourbon.

If I am wrong I would not be suprised but that is what I think I remember.

What the hell do I know anyway? I am a Vodka and Scotch guy. But back in the day I did enjoy me some Wild Turkey.
 
The Temptryst rum is made by a man in Driftwood named Daniel Watson. It is not in production, but let me tell you this, and I say it without reservation: every last variety of rum he makes is out of your mind crazy good. I have been privileged to taste several of his spirits (he also has scotch, bourbon, and other spirits he has made in experimental/developmental quantities) and they simply blew me away.

I don't know if Daniel is going to put his rum, scotch or any other product on the retail market or not. But I do know he consistently wins top prizes at national and international tastings in which he enters his product. If you ever have the chance to taste his stuff, do not, I repeat, do NOT even ******* think about passing it up. What that man produces makes other distillers go like this...
whiteflag.gif
 
So have you given any of the tequila's a go as of yet?? If so, can you give a review? I just ran out of patron silver and neeing to replenish and was thinking of trying something different. Thanks in advance!

hookem.gif
 
I tried that Balcones Baby Blue... saying it is different is an understatement. If I recall correctly they make it from blue corn, hence the name. It was the most different bourbon I have ever tasted. It was brought to a guys weekend at the lake. One guy brought it, and no one liked it, save one other guy. He went home with it and I guess he enjoyed it. It wasn't for me.
 
Are you sure you had the Baby Blue and not the Balcones Rumble?

The Rumble is a unique spirit, certainly more distinct than the Baby Blue, and your summary of people's impression of the drink makes me think you're describing the Rumble rather than the Baby Blue.
 
A friend picked up some Garrison Bros. bourbon in Fredericksburg in November. It was only sold in the area, and nothing in Austin. This production run sold out very quickly. I was lucky enough to get to try some (well, a little more than "some'). It is amazing. They are expanding the facility, so hopefully more will be available in the future
 
just purchased a bottle of Garrison Bros. for 80 bucks at teh Hye store 3 weeks ago. We did a wine tour, but on my request we stopped by the distillery. I've got to say this stuff is just fantastic. What we purchased came from the 2008 vintage. If I remember correctly, they won't have product until 2012. The owner said the "angel share" is a very high rate, but those barrels have the best hootch. This is truely sipping material, never to be wasted by any mix.
 
Now another new Texas Vodka - "Cinco".

It was launched May 14, and is positioning itself as an ultra high end luxury vodka. I haven't tried it yet, but will review if I get a chance.
 
Sangre,
checked out that website, yet they seem be to confused as to what alcohol goes into a martini... I would bet they put ketchup on a hot dog, and mayo on a burger...
 
Deep Eddy's Ruby Red Grapefruit vodka sells like crazy. I tried it and it's pretty darned good with just a splash of club soda.

To answer a years-old question posed by uisge, yes I have tried both the Enchanted Rock vodka (exceptionally smooth, exceptionally...) and the Rebecca Creek. Rebecca Creek is a blended whiskey, with a pretty large dose of the Enchanted Rock vodka mixed in there. My impression is that it's a good whiskey for girls because it is really light and fairly simple, but it goes down really easily thanks to that portion of vodka in the blend. I would not take a bottle home for my own drinking.
 
Not sure how it hasn't made this list yet, but Rebecca Creek Texas Spirit Whiskey has become one of my favorites. I still like Maker's Mark and Knob Creek, but this one is right up there.

Made by Rebecca Creek Distillery in San Anotnio, who also makes Enchanted Rock Vodka (which i haven't tried - I'm more of a "Whisky-Pop" than a vodka drinker)
link
 
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