Garrison Brothers Balmorhea 2020

Score: 19/23 I sampled the 2021 Balmorhea recently. While I enjoyed it, the hype and cost made it feel lacking. Perhaps this year was superior. Nose: Oak has a slight mustiness and a dusty, almost sawdust-like quality. Significant vanilla and spices akin to cinnamon and clove. A subtle trace of tart, bitter orange peel. After a few minutes, chocolate and smooth wood emerge. There's also a faint, youthful meatiness, but it's minimal. It's not entirely bad, but it's a minor drawback. An expected alcohol warmth is present, but that's common at this proof. A hint of leather is also detected. The aroma isn't the most intricate, yet it's quite rich and indulgent. Palate: A rich, full profile with smooth wood and chocolate mingling, contrasted by a burst of spice (black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and a mild prickling heat). The spice is remarkably sharp. Some leather is present, leading to a robust oakiness with a slightly sawdusty character. The oak possesses a hint of over-steeped bitterness and some vanilla, though it's not excessively steeped. More accurately, it's a pleasant, rich virgin oak vanilla combined with sweet corn that doesn't quite resemble caramel. Finish: Vanilla persists with a touch of minerality. Some more intriguing spices appear briefly. I detect notes of dried orange peel, cardamom, and black tea for a moment. The tannins do remain. - Conclusion - Compared to the 2021 Balmorhea, this expression is less oak-forward, specifically less over-oaked. The 2021 version is richer and has less spicy alcohol heat, but it's also less subtle. I prefer the fundamental taste profile here because it's less over-oaked, but that spicy heat is quite off-putting, and the richness of the 2021 is undeniable. Resilient 15 (rated 18/23) is somewhat lighter than this, though not as much as I anticipated. I notice some heat from the Resilient as well, but less than from this pour. The Resilient offers more complexity but lacks the superb smooth wood flavor and some of the other fine, rich notes present here. I wouldn't rate this significantly lower than the Resilient, but I do believe the Resilient is slightly superior. Booker's Shiny Barrel (rated 19/23) has more heat than this, which makes me reconsider penalizing this so heavily for its warmth. The Booker's is more demanding but offers more depth, which I appreciate. An argument could be made for this deserving a 19, but personally, I don't see it. I was leaning towards a 16 due to the heat, but I now dismiss that possibility. A score of 17 to 19 seems appropriate. I'm increasingly inclined to give this an 18 as the spicy warmth seems less significant. I might even consider a 19 seriously now. I suspect the flavor here surpasses that of Balmorhea 2021. It still doesn't feel like a great bargain, but it's within a price range I'd accept, especially given its distinctiveness. I'm leaning more towards a 19 for this. At one point, I even considered a 20. I think this will receive a 19. What convinced me was that while this has more heat than the extremely smooth 2021, it still doesn't burn as intensely as drams like Booker's and Old Forester 1920. Nevertheless, this is a low 19, and I wouldn't be surprised if I downgraded it to an 18 upon re-tasting. Thank you to a reviewer for this sample! It's helpful to realize that my bottle of the 2021 might not be performing at its usual level (though it could improve over time), and I'm glad to now grasp what people mean when they praise Balmorhea so highly.

Nose: Intense caramel, vanilla, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon pastry, cocoa, marshmallow, confectioners' sugar, robust oak, graham cracker, brown sugar, sweet apple, candied pecan, mint, earthy vegetal notes, clay, white pepper, noticeable to strong ethanol burn. Taste: Salted caramel, baked apple, cherry, clove, nutmeg, sweet pastry, vanilla, cinnamon, dark chocolate, mint, rich tannic oak, burnt brown sugar, pecan, walnut, noticeable to strong alcohol bite, with a medium-length finish featuring salted caramel, sweet pastry, dark chocolate, and baking spice flavors. As my final Garrison Brothers review, I'm sampling the 2020 rendition of Balmorhea. It's rich and sweet, as anticipated. The aroma carries that signature cinnamon bun scent, along with the typical caramels, vanillas, chocolates, and baking spices. There are also some mint and spicy vegetal notes present. The palate delivers the sweet dessert characteristics with a hint of minty heat in the background. I would be remiss if I didn't compare this directly with my bottle of the 2021 Balmorhea. The aromas are quite similar, but there are distinct differences on the palate. Not so much in the flavors themselves, but certainly in the mouthfeel and finish. The 2020 version is slightly brighter, thinner, and more tannic. The 2021 is thick and buttery with a longer finish that showcases more pleasing dark chocolate notes as the flavors subside. Therefore, the 2021 edition is a minor improvement over the 2020, but this is excellent bourbon in its own right. Many thanks to a friend for the sample and for arranging this enjoyable comparison.

The nose is incredibly rich, starting with buttery cornbread topped with rich wildflower honey, then chocolate-covered candied pecans leading into orange peel and cherry cough drops, finishing with hay, rising cinnamon roll dough, and an old sun-soaked barn, with a medium ethanol burn. The taste has a rich mouthfeel, starting with wildflower honey-covered cornbread, orange peel, and cherry cough drops, then a high tannic oak spice like a burnt piece of whole wheat toast covered with jalapeño peppers, which slowly fades to reveal spent espresso grounds and rising cinnamon roll dough, along with a high ethanol burn. The finish is long with burnt whole wheat toast, candied pecans, dark chocolate-covered espresso beans, orange peel, cherry syrup, cinnamon red hots, golden mill flour, and over-steeped black tea. This one has a wonderful nose with big, bold bourbon flavors that continue on the taste with a rich mouthfeel, but in the mid-palate, it gravitates towards an overly tannic bitterness that overpowers the flavors until finally fading enough for additional flavors to come through in the long finish. I was able to taste the 2021 version, which has rectified the highly tannic issue with more balanced oak, so here's hoping the 2022 will be dialed in even better.

The aroma is distinctly Garrison Brothers, and the palate is similar to Garrison but also reminiscent of Woodford Reserve Double Oak. Excellent taste, no heat, with caramel and malt notes.

A wonderful, rich, leathery dessert in a glass!

Quite distinctive. Hints of fruit.