Still Austin Distillery Reserve Series: Monster Mash 2025

It lives! For the 2025 edition of "Monster Mash," the team at Still Austin returned to the lab to construct a beast from the best parts of their inventory. While most distilleries keep their mashbills separated by strict category lines, this Distillery Reserve series takes a sledgehammer to those walls. It is a "Frankenstein" blend in the best possible sense. Inside each bottle lies a mash bill of truly supernatural proportions: 28% malted white corn, 23% white corn, 28% malted wheat, 13% malted rye, and 8% malted barley.

Master Blender John Schrepel has orchestrated a chaotic harmony here. You have the creamy sweetness of the corn wrestling with the sharp, herbal bite of the rye, while the wheat fills in the gaps with a soft, bready texture. It represents the full spectrum of the Texas grain harvest, concentrated by the brutal heat of the Austin rickhouse.

Bottled at a sturdy 112 proof, this isn't a novelty act for Halloween; it is a serious study in grain complexity wrapped in Knox Kronenberg’s iconic creature art. You are tasting the sum of Still Austin’s ambitions. If you want to know what happens when you throw out the rulebook and just chase flavor, crack the seal.

Nose: Inviting with notes of frosted cereal, toasted cinnamon, green peppercorn, grape skins, and roasted marshmallow.

Palate: Dense and complex with oak up front notes of maple hard candy, golden raisins, grapefruit zest, bergamot, caramel candied apple, and green tea.

Finish: Medium length, malted milk, honey, tamarind candy, hints of leather, licorice, and rock candy.

The "kitchen sink" grain profile makes this whiskey incredibly versatile, but it loves fall flavors. Serve it alongside roasted pork loin with cranberry glaze; the tart fruit and savory meat will highlight the blend's complex grain structure. For a snack, dark chocolate bark with sea salt and pistachios is essential, as the nuts and cocoa lock into the whiskey’s darker tones. If you are leaning into the seasonal theme, a slice of pumpkin pie offers the spice and custard creaminess needed to stand up to the 112-proof heat.