TX Whiskey

TX Whiskey is a brand of whiskey produced by Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. out of Fort Worth, Texas. You’ve probably seen the bottle on the shelves of your local liquor store and would recognize it at first glance. A large T and X are found right on the front of the bottle to let you know exactly where it’s from.

In this article, we’re going to cover everything there is about the TX Whiskey brand and review their TX Blended Whiskey. So, if you’ve ever thought about buying a bottle, want to know the history, taste, or price of the Texas spirit, then keep reading.

TX Whiskey History

Leonard Firestone and Troy Robertson founded Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co., and thus TX Whiskey, in 2010. Leonard and Troy became friends because their kids were in the same play group. They had individually planned trips to a craft distillery on separate weekends to learn about whiskey distilling. They had learned of each other’s interest in whiskey distillation and plans of creating a Texas whiskey. Shortly after, they put their plans in motion.

They began by buying an abandoned prohibition-era warehouse , renovating it, and installing top of the line copper pot-column stills. By 2012 they had launched their first whiskey selection, TX Blended Whiskey, with TX Straight Bourbon following in 2016.

TX Blended Whiskey Review

TX Whiskey offers 6 whiskey’s in their selection – TX Blended Whiskey, TX Straight Bourbon, TX Barrel Proof Bourbon, TX Barrel Finish (Sherry or Port Finish), and Texas Straight Bourbon Bottled-In-Bond. We will touch on each whiskey briefly after we give our full review of TX Blended Whiskey.

TX Blended Whiskey at First Glance

As the name suggests, this is a blended whiskey. However, its a blend of whiskeys from other distilleries that include straight bourbon, whiskey, and grain spirits. It’s impossible to know the mashbill and exact whiskeys used in the blend as we don’t know which distilleries they even come from, or if the distilleries are even in Texas. It is bottled in Texas at 41% ABV (82 proof), though.

What stands out most initially is the bottle and logo. The bottle itself is quite basic, but the large T and X are quite recognizable and make it very hard to mistake where this bottle is from. Along with the T and X, each bottle has a cap that features old leather from cowboy boots or a saddle. Each cap is unique as well, so every time you buy a bottle it’ll be from a different piece of leather.

The other features of the bottle include a canvas wrap around the top which, according to their website, is a tribute to canvas chuckwagons of Texas heritage. They also describe the clover design seen on their bottles as a bootstitch as the pattern can be seen on cowboy boots as well. Lastly, the silver band around the bottom of the bottle has “traces” of Texan silver spurs and belt buckles.

TX Blended Whiskey First Glance Summary

I love most of everything about TX Blended Whiskey at first glance. We’re from Texas here at Barrel and Brew and being from Texas comes with a lot of Texas Pride. The leather caps are the coolest part of the bottle by far. It represents Texas heritage and the Texas lifestyle while adding a unique feature. The canvas around the neck of the bottle is also a unique feature that helps TX Whiskey stand out. The silver band with “traces” of spurs and buckles along with the bootstitch is probably more so just marketing.

I, also, love the story Of Leonard Firestone and Troy Robertson. I mean, who hasn’t dreamed of quitting their day job and starting a brewery or distillery with their friend? Sounds like a pretty cool dream, yet they actually did it.

However, we have no idea where the whiskeys come from that make up TX Blended Whiskey. Are they from other Texas distilleries? How many are Texas Distilleries? These are things we don’t know, so it’s hard to know just how Texas this TX Whiskey is.

TX Blended Whiskey Taste

Now that we’ve covered some of the basic history of TX Whiskey and the first glance of TX Blended Whiskey, it’s time to get into the more pertinent information. Is TX Blended Whiskey good? What does it taste like? These are questions we’ll answer below in our flavor profile.

TX Blended Whiskey Flavor Profile

Nose: Vanilla and Caramel with light fruit. Sweet smell, alcohol smell is minimal.

Taste: Heavy on the vanilla here. Tough to taste much more than vanilla. light oaky and nutty hints.

Finish: Medium length, pretty smooth, small bite but not much. Easy.

TX Blended Whiskey Taste Summary

Overall, the taste is definitely on the sweeter, vanilla side of things. The vanilla is good, for some people the sweetness might be a turn off. I, personally, like the TX Blended Whiskey a lot because I like a little sweetness with my whiskey, especially with a blended whiskey. Some of our other members at Barrel and Brew say referred to it as decent, just a tad too sweet for their preferences.

Is TX Blended Whiskey good? Like we alluded to, this comes down to personal preference. If you like sweet whiskeys, then you may love TX Blended Whiskey. If you don’t like sweetness, it’s still a decent choice as there’s nothing overly offensive about TX Blended Whiskey. You may want to try one of their other options that we’ll cover shortly.

TX Blended Whiskey Price

The next question is, what does it cost? TX Whiskey typically has a pretty fair price point, but it’s definitely something to consider before you buy a bottle, or before you make TX Whiskey a staple in your cabinet. Below are the average prices you can find a bottle for. (Prices may vary depending on location and individual store)

TX Blended Whiskey 750ml: $29-34

TX Blended Whiskey 1.75L: $57-64

TX Blended Whiskey Price Summary

Most quality, value sipping whiskeys are found in the high $20 to low $40 range. Obviously, there are tons of options that exceed the low $40 mark as quality sipping whiskeys, but those are typically outside our general rule of thumb of quality, value sipping whiskeys. Likewise, there are probably a few good sipping whiskeys that can be found in the low or mid $20 range. TX Blended Whiskey usually costs ~$30 which we to be a fair price.

As a blended whiskey, and one that can be sipped or mixed, it being on the lower side of $30 is comforting. You can probably find options at a cheaper price that you like more, and you can definitely find more expensive options you enjoy less.

TX Blended Whiskey Value

This is the section to compare the taste and price to determine value, to answer whether or not TX Blended Whiskey is worth buying. However, much of this really comes down to personal preference and budget. I have no problem shoveling out $30 for a bottle of TX Blended Whiskey, but some others at Barrel and Brew have no problem drinking it, yet probably won’t find themselves purchasing it.

If you love TX Blended Whiskey, at $30 it’s a good deal and something you should have on your shelf as it won’t break the bank – well depending on how much you drink. And if you haven’t had it and are interested in trying it, $30 is definitely worth seeing how much you enjoy it. Ultimately, to figure out the value of TX Blended Whiskey, you have to go out and purchase a bottle.

TX Whiskey Selection

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are 6 selections among the TX Whiskey brand. One of the problems we had with the Blended Whiskey was not knowing the mashbill or the whiskey used in the blend. That is not the case for the rest of the options. We’ll briefly cover the other 5 options below.

TX Straight Bourbon Whiskey

According to the laws regulating bourbon, to be considered “straight bourbon”, it must be aged a minimum two years. Also, any bottle aged less than 4 years must contain an age statement. The TX Straight Bourbon Whiskey is aged 4 a minimum 4 years. The mashbill is exclusively corn, wheat, and barley grown by a Texas farmer. On top of that, the water source and strain of yeast used in fermentation are from Texas.

Bottled at 45% abv, or 90 proof, a 750ml typically runs $35-40. If you’re looking for Texas Whiskey that is made in Texas, with Texas grains, and by Texans, this should be where you start.

TX Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Proof

TX Whiskey released their Barrel Proof batch to give a much stronger selection of their Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The bourbon is unfiltered, and water is not used to dilute the spirit giving you the most natural experience of TX Whiskey. Each bottle will denote the month and year that the barrel was harvested in, and each batch will have a unique proof statement. Bottles are typically found around 120 proof (60 abv) give or take. TX Barrel Proof is usually sold around $65.

TX Straight Bourbon Barrel Finish

The two options in this group are Sherry Finish and Port Finish. After the bourbon is aged for 4 years, it is finished in sherry casks for 8 months. Sherry is a wine that comes from southern Spain, and is intended to add raisin, chocolate, and molasses flavors to the whiskey. It is bottled at 101.6 proof (50.8% abv) and sold at $61.

The Port finish is, subsequently, finished in Tawny Port casks for 6 months. The Port casks come from Portugal and are intended to add flavors of fig, toffee, and nuts. Likewise, it is bottle at 101.6 proof and sold at $61.

TX Bottled-In-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey

In 1897, regulations were put in place for a bottled-in-bond statement. One master distiller, at one distillery, in one distillation season must preside over the spirit. It then must be aged 4 years at a federally bonded warehouse and bottled at exactly 100 proof. Sold around $52.

TX Whiskey Summary

TX Blended Whiskey is a quality blended whiskey for a reasonable price. It leans on the sweet side, so some people may be off put by that. It is not overly sweet, I do not think, to where anyone would hate this selection. If you’re interested in TX Whiskey the Blended Whiskey or Straight Bourbon Whiskey are good places to start. Furthermore, the bottle’s caps feature unique leather from used boots or saddles which is a cool homage to Texas Heritage.

While there are questions surrounding just how Texas is TX Blended Whiskey, there is no mistaking the ingredients and their whereabouts used in their straight bourbon selections.

TX Whiskey FAQ

Below are some common questions surrounding TX Whiskey, most of which are answered in the article above.

Is TX Whiskey Good?

In short, yes. TX Whiskey is generally regarded as a solid whiskey option. The TX Blended Whiskey, their primary selection, can be too sweet and vanilla for some people, but the straight bourbon is a good option as well.

Where is TX Whiskey From?

TX Whiskey is produced by Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. in Fort Worth, TX. Their Blended Whiskey contains whiskey from various distilleries, and it’s unclear where those whiskeys come from. The rest of their whiskeys are made in Texas with grains from Texas and by Texans.

Is TX Whiskey a Bourbon?

TX Whiskey’s first and primary selection in their lineup is not bourbon, it’s a blended whisky. The rest of their selections are straight bourbons, meaning they have been aged for a minimum of 2 years; although, all of their straight bourbons are aged a minimum of 4 years.

If you’re interested in bourbon, check out all our reviews and comparisons of different bourbons HERE.