Advantage After Hours Episode 6: Fierce Whiskers Bourbon Review

Nate from The Empty Pockets joins us as we taste the first bourbon from Fierce Whiskers. May your whiskey be fierce and your pockets not empty.

Advantage After Hours shows what happens when four guys (and occasional special guests) with vastly different whiskey tastes and experiences try and review a whiskey for the first time. Naturally, the result is a well-rounded review from four different perspectives, rather than just from the hardcore bourbon drinkers that you find in most reviews.

About Fierce Whiskers

It’s not often you taste a brand new non-sourced whiskey from a distillery you had never heard of and think, ‘Wow, this is really good.’ That is the case with Batch 1 from Fierce Whiskers. But before we get into the bourbon itself, let’s talk a little bit about the distillery.

Tri Vo and Tim Penney were old high school friends turned business partners who entered the whiskey business because they thought it was cool. That may not be a tried-and-true recipe for success, but in their case, it’s turning out just fine so far.

They began distilling their first batch of whiskey in September of 2020, and opened their tasting room in 2021 in South Austin. They built the first fully-dedicated rickhouse built from the ground up in the state of Texas, a 5,500 square foot structure that uses specially situated louvers to harness the wind as the building’s only temperature control.

Unlike most start-up distilleries, Fierce Whiskers didn’t source product while its own came of age, and it didn’t release young product to retail before it was truly ready. Instead, they built a local following by holding tastings at the distillery and offering a great on-site experience with food trucks and more.

In September 2022, Fierce Whiskers released a limited-edition single barrel carbon-negative bourbon called Five O’ Clock Shadow. They followed that up in April 2023 with a 454-bottle batch of rye called Smoke + Mash Volume 1, in partnership with the Smoke + Mash Social Club.

Both of those were distillery-only releases, but that all changed in June of 2023 when Fierce Whiskers released its first retail product, Fierce Whiskers Straight Texas Rye. This past May, the bourbon was finally ready for retail at just under four years. Fierce Whiskers Texas Straight Bourbon was released in May 2024.

Their Products

Fierce Whiskers has a couple of flagship releases so far, in addition to several limited single barrel releases.

Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The Details

Type: Small Batch Bourbon

Company: Fierce Whiskers Distillery

Distilled By: Fierce Whiskers Distillery

Price: $48.99

Age: 3 years, 8 months

Mash Bill: 70% corn, 20% rye, 10% malted barley

Proof: 98

Tasted In: Glencairn

The Review

In previous reviews, we did high proof (Smoke Wagon Uncut the Younger), single barrel (Buzzard’s Roost barrel pick from Malloy’s Finest), toasted barrel finish (Yellowstone Toasted), an infused whiskey (Chattanooga Pecan Infused), and a tequila barrel finished bourbon (FEW Spirits All Secrets Known). Now, we’re trying our first Texas whiskey.

It seems as if everyone is releasing a whiskey these days, whether its their own distillate or sourced elsewhere and slapping their own label on the bottle. That has led to some less than stellar whiskey hitting the market and a lot of whiskey that tastes just like other whiskey, just with a different label and price point. So when a new, unheralded brand comes into play, it’s reasonable to meet it with some level of skepticism.

But from the time you step foot on the Fierce Whiskers property in South Austin, it’s immediately apparent that this isn’t some fly-by-night operation. It’s small, yes, especially when compared to the big boys from Kentucky, but with a large black rickhouse and a distillery with tasting room sitting on sweeping land that makes you feel like you’re not just a few miles from Austin proper, you get a sense that they’re doing it right before you even taste it.

Justin visited Fierce Whiskers when he was in town for the Austin Build Expo in May, just after Batch 1 of the bourbon dropped. In addition to tasting through their offerings and getting a private rickhouse tour, he was so impressed with the bourbon he had to bring home a bottle for the guys to taste.

While it was aged just under 4 years, sitting in a hot Texas rickhouse with a climate controlled only by louvers, this bourbon effectively drinks older than it actually is. The 70% corn, 20% rye, 10% malted barley mash bill is the same as the FEW All Secrets Known bourbon we tasted last time, but this one uses all Texas grains and wasn’t finished in ex-tequila barrels.

Justin, our most experienced whiskey drinker, noted right off the bat that it’s very grain forward, similar to whiskies from Journeyman Distillery. He also picked up some graham cracker and some honey sweetness.

Matt, who has a good base and is starting to branch out, picked up some dried fruit such as fig.

Jim, who mostly just likes a Jack and Coke, tasted some sweetness and a buttery mouthfeel.

Nate, the bass player from The Empty Pockets, who likes Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Whistle Pig, and Monkey Shoulder, got a licorice on the palate and could really taste the oak.

The Verdict

Fierce Whiskers Texas Straight Bourbon is a buy all day for us. From the hardcore whiskey guy to the less experienced, it runs the gamut of palates. At 98 proof, with the 20% rye and the combination of sweetness and oakiness present from the Texas heat, it holds up for the whiskey drinker who wants to really taste it. But that sweetness allows the less refined palate to enjoy it just the same.

For the time being, it’s only available in Texas, but it can be ordered online, and in 2025 it will start to see larger distribution. We recommend ordering a bottle, but if you don’t want to pay for shipping, don’t hesitate to grab one when you finally see it on the shelf.

About Advantage After Hours

In each episode, we will taste and review a different whiskey that none of us have tried before. Each of us has a vastly different experience and taste in whiskey, so rather than getting a review from only hardcore whiskey drinkers, you get four different perspectives on that same whiskey:

• Justin (The Adventurer) has hundreds of bottles. All of them are open and available to share with family and friends. He loves to try the latest releases from Chattanooga, Starlight, or Penelope more than hunting for Pappy, Weller, or Blanton’s.
• Jim (The Traditionalist) is open to trying anything, but really just likes a Jack & Coke. His favorite whiskey is the basic Jack Daniel’s.
• Matt (The Upstart) is familiar with the basics and looking to branch out to new whiskies. He loves anything from Buffalo Trace and Heaven Hill.
• Zach (The Newb) hates whiskey. If it were up to him, he would never drink it, but he’s a good sport for Advantage After Hours. His go-to drink is a tequila shot or Captain Morgan.