Bone Spirits Releases 12-Year Texas Bourbon in Smithville
Texas whiskey is getting older.
Like, 12 years old older.
On Monday, October 5, Bone Spirits in Smithville will reopen its tasting room and release a 12-Year Single Barrel Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey distilled by Bone Spirits.
And unless someone has an older bottle hiding in the back of a cabinet somewhere, this appears to be the oldest known post-Prohibition Texas-made bourbon released to date.
That makes this little 375 mL bottle a pretty interesting piece of Texas whiskey history.
A 12-Year-Old Texas Bourbon
According to the bottle label released by Bone Spirits, the new whiskey is a 12-Year Single Barrel Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey, bottled at 118.6 proof (59.3% ABV).
It will be sold in 375 mL bottles.
Most importantly for the history nerds among us, the label states that the whiskey was distilled and bottled by Bone Spirits in Smithville, Texas.
That distinction matters.
Texas has certainly seen older sourced whiskey bottled by companies based here. This is different. We're talking about bourbon actually distilled in Texas and left to age for 12 years before release.
For a whiskey industry that barely existed in its modern form two decades ago, that's a hell of a milestone.
Is This the Oldest Texas Bourbon?
As far as I have been able to document, it appears to be.
Kiepersol previously released Jimmy's 10-Year Cask Strength Bourbon, which reached a full decade of aging in Texas.
Bone Spirits has now pushed that number to 12 years.
I'm deliberately calling this the oldest known post-Prohibition Texas-made bourbon rather than declaring an unquestionable record. Texas whiskey history hasn't exactly been documented with the same enthusiasm Texans have traditionally reserved for football statistics.
There may be an older release buried somewhere in the history books.
But so far, I haven't found one.
And 12 years is particularly interesting in Texas, where our climate has given the state's whiskey a reputation for reaching maturity much younger than bourbon from more temperate parts of the country.
Apparently somebody at Bone Spirits decided to see what happens if you just...keep going.
For twelve years.
Bone Spirits Tasting Room Reopens
The bourbon release also marks the reopening of the Bone Spirits tasting room in Smithville.
Beginning October 5, the tasting room will be open Monday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.
Bone says visitors will be able to taste the 12-year single barrel bourbon, with vodka and gin also available.
So even if you're somehow the person who drives to a Texas distillery on the day a 12-year bourbon comes out and orders vodka, they've got you covered.
Event Details
Event: Bone Bourbon 12-Year Single Barrel Release
Date: Monday, October 5, 2026
Time: Noon–5 p.m.
Location: Bone Spirits Distillery
Address: 802 NE 1st Street, Smithville, TX 78957
Whiskey: Bone Bourbon 12-Year Single Barrel Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 12 Years
Proof: 118.6
ABV: 59.3%
Bottle Size: 375 mL
Bottle price and release quantity have not been confirmed.
Find More Texas Whiskey Events
Looking for another excuse to drive across Texas in pursuit of brown liquid?
Check out more Central Texas whiskey events or browse the full Texas Whiskey Events Calendar for upcoming bottle releases, tastings, distillery events, pairing dinners and whiskey festivals across the state.
Event Disclaimer
Event details, tasting-room hours, bottle availability and release information can change. Verify current information directly with Bone Spirits before making the drive. The description of this bottle as the oldest known post-Prohibition Texas-made bourbon is based on currently available information and should not be interpreted as an independently certified historical record.
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