A Blend of Castle & Key Distillery (Frankfort, Kentucky) and Still Austin Whiskey Co. (Austin, Texas)
The Bottle
| Distilleries | Castle & Key, Frankfort, Kentucky & Still Austin Whiskey Co., Austin, Texas |
| Series | Pinhook True Small Batch — “Castle & Still” |
| Type | Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey |
| Age | 6 Years (both barrels) |
| Proof | 119.8 (Cask Strength) |
| ABV | 59.9% |
| Filtration | Non-Chill Filtered (Unfiltered) |
| Retail Price | $95 |
Background
My journey with Pinhook has been a long and winding road. I was deeply unimpressed with their early releases — see my 2020 review, which was not kind. Their Collaboration Series wheated bourbon changed my mind, and more recently, the True Small Batch Triple Double pick (reviewed here) confirmed that Pinhook’s Castle & Key distillate, given adequate time, is genuinely excellent. Now I have something even more interesting to consider: the “Castle & Still” blend.
The name is Pinhook’s clever shorthand for a marriage of barrels from two very different American whiskey operations. Castle & Key is housed on the restored grounds of the legendary Old Taylor Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, and produces a mash bill of 73% white corn, 10% rye, and 17% malted barley — that high barley percentage producing a softer, slightly floral, baking-spice-forward spirit. Still Austin Whiskey Co., operating out of Austin, Texas, takes a decidedly different approach: 70% non-GMO Texas white corn, 25% Elbon heritage rye, and 5% Wildfire smoked malted barley — all grains sourced exclusively from Texas farmers. The result is a bolder, grainier, rye-forward distillate with a slightly rustic, earthy character. Both barrels in this blend are six years old, though “six years old” means something very different in central Kentucky than it does in the heat of an Austin, Texas warehouse. This is a genuinely unique concept, and I was eager to see whether Pinhook’s blending hand could make the sum greater than its parts.
Appearance
This bottle stops you before you even pour it. The color is extraordinary — not amber in any conventional sense, but something closer to deep red, almost like a tawny port or a well-aged Sherry cask Scotch. You know immediately that the barrel influence here has been profound, and that should surprise no one: a six-year-old barrel spending its summers in Austin, Texas, where temperatures routinely push past 100°F, cycles aggressively in and out of the charred wood, extracting color and flavor compounds at a rate that would take a Kentucky barrel years longer to match. On the swirl, the film is thin initially, but the legs that eventually form are big and slow — unmistakable signs of a dense, oily, full-bodied spirit at high proof.
Nose
The nose announces itself as traditional bourbon at first — vanilla and caramel are front and center, familiar and welcoming. But stay with it, because this is where the Still Austin contribution becomes unmistakable. Deep, grassy rye notes push to the foreground quickly, and they bring citrus along with them — think orange zest and a touch of lemon peel. These are not background accents politely waiting their turn; they arrive alongside the caramel and vanilla and demand equal billing. It is a more complex and layered nose than the Castle & Key-only Triple Double bottle, and it rewards patience. Let it breathe. The interplay between the soft Kentucky sweetness and the assertive Texas rye grain is genuinely interesting.
Palate
If the nose signals something unique, the palate delivers on that promise in full. The mouthfeel is immediately striking — rich, viscous, and almost syrupy, with a density that belies the 119.8 proof. Vanilla leads, as it did in the Triple Double, but here it is quickly joined by a broader and more varied flavor chorus: candied cherries, citrus fruit, cardamom, and warm baking spice weave together beautifully, and then — perhaps the most unexpected and delightful note in the glass — a rich, warm apple pie character emerges in the mid-palate. That apple pie quality, the combination of cooked fruit, warm spice, and a buttery richness, is something I have rarely encountered so distinctly in a cask strength bourbon, and it elevates this pour considerably. At full proof, the mouthfeel is exceptional. I enjoyed this neat, but a few drops of water will bloom the citrus and fruit notes even further for those who prefer a slightly more open experience.
Finish
I will be honest: the finish is the one area where this bourbon falls slightly short of its own potential. The candied cherries, oak, and clove that close out the palate deliver a powerful and satisfying punch — do not misunderstand me, the finish is good. But compared to the extraordinary mid-palate experience, and compared to the very long, lingering finish on the Triple Double, this one fades a bit faster than I would like. The baking spices that carried the Triple Double home over many long seconds are not as persistent here. It is a finish that impresses but leaves you wanting more — which is either a flaw or an invitation for another pour, depending on your perspective.
Value
At $95, this is a $15 premium over the Triple Double pick, and the question is whether the extra complexity of the two-distillery blend justifies it. I think it does — but just barely, and only because the flavor profile is so genuinely distinctive. The apple pie mid-palate alone is worth the price of admission. Buyers seeking the longest possible finish at the best possible value would do well with the Triple Double at $80. Buyers seeking a unique and conversation-worthy bourbon experience that bridges Kentucky tradition and Texas terroir should reach for this one without hesitation.
Final Verdict
The Pinhook True Small Batch “Castle & Still” is unlike anything else currently in my cabinet, and I mean that as a sincere compliment. Pinhook has done something genuinely interesting here: rather than blending two similar profiles for smoothness or consistency, they have blended two philosophically different distilleries — historic Kentucky limestone-water craft and bold Texas heritage-grain character — and allowed the tension between them to be the point. The grassy rye, the citrus, the apple pie mid-palate, and that vivid red color all speak to a bourbon that has traveled a different road than the standard Kentucky expression. My reservations about Pinhook’s early years are firmly in the rearview mirror. The True Small Batch program, whether Castle & Key alone or this two-state blend, is producing some of the most interesting whiskey at this price tier. I will be watching for future releases closely.
Highly Recommended.