Step Into Fort Worth’s Own Whiskey Ranch — This New Barrel Proof Bourbon Deserves a Party

The makers of TX Whiskey and TX Bourbon are adding a third product to their portfolio. Fort Worth-based Firestone & Robertson Distillery is launching TX Straight Bourbon Barrel Proof on March 13.

Barrel proof bourbon has really become a thing. Most whiskey distillers have rolled out a version of it. Also known as cask-strength, these high octane bourbons are uncut with water and unfiltered. Weller was one of the first to bottle barrel proof bourbon in the 1940s, and in recent years it has caught on ― with whiskey and bourbon drinkers becoming more advanced and looking for something new.

TX Straight Bourbon Barrel Proof is the flagship bourbon straight from the barrel. Same ingredients and same process as Firestone & Robertson’s TX Straight Bourbon to that point. You might consider it more raw or unfinished — and that has a certain appeal. The new offering boasts the flavors of the Texas ingredients, barrel aged in their purest form.

“Our Barrel Proof Bourbon is uncut and unfiltered, meaning you can taste the bourbon just as if you were sampling it straight from the barrel. Based on preference, customers can decide if they want to add any water to dilute its strength” Master Distiller Rob Arnold said in a statement. “You really can find your own sweet spot with Barrel Proof Bourbon.”

The team at TX believes in the pursuit of terroir and how an ingredient’s location can impact the flavors of bourbon. The extreme fluctuations in Texas weather results in a barrel aging process unlike any other state. With the intense summer heat and indecisive winters of the Lone Star State, the bourbon heavily interacts with the red layer year-round. The red layer is where the bourbon finds the caramelized wood that delivers all the color and much of the flavor to the spirit.

Here’s the science behind it in a nutshell: TX Straight Bourbon Barrel Proof is not diluted with water or run through a chill filtration before bottling, resulting in a bounty of flavors from the red layer in their most concentrated form. Oh, and TX is also famous for another nutshell ― the native pecan, from which they extract a wild strain of Texas yeast to use in the proprietary recipe.

The brand works with local farmers to explore unique flavors by experimenting with corn variations as well. Many of those experimental endeavors are realized in TX Straight Bourbon Barrel Proof.

While TX Whiskey and its companion Bourbon strive for consistency, no two batches of TX Straight Bourbon Barrel Proof will be identical, as the precise harvesting time determines the bourbon’s age, proof and flavor. Each batch will carry a unique harvest date noting the month and year that the barrels were harvested. Every bottle will also include a handwritten label to encapsulate that specific batch’s story.

A release day party was originally scheduled for Friday, March 13 at Whiskey Ranch, but coronavirus concerns prompted its cancellation. The new bourbon will still launch as scheduled and be on store shelves.