Garrison Brothers Single Barrel Bourbon

The initial impression is one of sawdust, as if wood chips were carelessly thrown in. This flavor is much more pronounced than in I.W. Harper 15. It's potent, and the barrel influence is pleasant. However, the price is unreasonably high for the quality. The aroma is rich, with some umami and sour notes. It carries a scent reminiscent of spoiled meat. More spice emerges, along with that sawdust aroma. The palate does have that sour taste, but it's much less noticeable due to a significant richness and sweetness from brown sugar, followed by an overpowering sawdust presence. The tartness remains to provide balance but is greatly diminished. There's a good amount of spice and some smoke. The harshness is quite apparent. It's sweet, with a toasted quality from the sawdust, but lacks the sweetness of toffee, fruit, or significant complexity. It's a decent bourbon due to its richness and sweetness, but it's not very complex, and the way the flavors don't quite blend (what is that sour note doing?) and the prominent sawdust suggest it's young. With a few drops of water, the sawdust character becomes more nuanced with added smoke and barrel notes. In comparison, George Dickel Bottled In Bond offers a much more complex and appealing aroma, with toasted and fruity notes that draw me in. George Dickel has a less aggressive palate with less wood and smoke, but it's better balanced with pleasant toasted flavors and juicy cherry. For a strong impact, choose Garrison Brothers. For a balanced bourbon with ample wood and toasted notes and a mouth-watering mix of baking spices, opt for the Dickel. Indeed, this doesn't match the quality of George Dickel Bottled In Bond. I appreciate the rich sweetness – it tastes like a very good young bourbon. Still, it tastes like a young bourbon. I suspect this would be excellent at 8 years old instead of 3.

Nose - black cherry, berry, buttered popcorn, sawdust, candy corn, butterscotch, vanilla, cream, nutmeg, dusty corn, leather, frosting, cocoa, brown sugar, sweaty oak, apple, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - cherry, rich caramel, sour berry, apple, wheat, black pepper, grape candy, spicy oak char, cinnamon red hot, allspice, powdered sugar, brown sugar, plum, sawdust, buttery corn, toasted marshmallow, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium long with cinnamon red hot, spicy oak, caramel, and black pepper flavors. Hey! My first Garrison Brothers. The richness they achieve from a short period of Texas aging is impressive. You can almost sense the musty, sweaty wood. However, there's still an undeniable youthfulness, especially on the palate. I'm okay with spicy, harsh bourbons, but I'd prefer more complexity and depth of flavor to withstand the burn. One interesting characteristic is this sawdust note that a couple of others mentioned, particularly on the nose. I definitely detect that as well, but it seems to shift between buttered popcorn and this dusty, powdered sugar, frosting aroma. Quite neat. Overall, this is a respectable bourbon. Unfortunately, Garrison Brothers charges excessive prices for whiskey that isn't exceptionally great. This can't even compete with some bourbons at nearly half its price. Fortunately, a friend very generously provided me with a sample of this, so I don't have to purchase the bottle.

Evaluated in a Glencairn nosing glass. Nose - Undiluted - A distinct and strong smell of rye bread, oak, cherry drop, leather, tobacco, and cocoa nib, a very savory aroma. Adding a little water... This revealed a very subtle, distant smokey maple scent. Taste - Undiluted - Texture is a little thin - Quite oaky, mild brown sugar, very faint smoke, and prunes and dates on the finish. Adding a little water... This didn't improve the whiskey in my assessment. The existing flavors are still there, but diluted. Final thoughts - I'm actually a bit let down by this. The bourbon itself is quite intriguing with its savory character and few sweet notes, but the overall tastes and smells are generally weak and require some effort to detect. I'd have rated this higher if it were, for instance, a $60 bottle. But at $100 each, you could find much better options.

A single barrel bourbon. Selected by the Master Distiller. Corn variety: #1 panhandle white. Corn harvested: 2011. From farms in Dallam County. Distilled and barreled in 2012. Barrel number: 3419. Bottle number: 30 of 57. Review #101 Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Dark amber. Nose: Caramel, bing cherries, other dark fruits. It's essentially a cherry pie. Palate: Some oak tannins and sweet clove. Finish: Medium length with medium heat. Splash: Oak and clove give way to leather and tobacco. Overall: 8.5/10 - The higher proof cask strength version has a longer finish, but the flavor notes are all present. This would likely hold up well with an ice cube or in an old fashioned. This bottle appears to have been signed by the Master Distiller, but I had to open it. UPDATE: The inscription reads, "Thanks for drinking good bourbon in Connecticut. Salud! Dan Garrison and JD Anderson".

Next from my short trip to Vegas was this intriguing pour from the Garrison Brothers. I'd heard positive things about this Texas-sourced bourbon. My initial perception was a very distinct aroma compared to their Kentucky and Tennessee relatives. Plenty of grass and earth at the start with undertones of honey and malts. The flavor was quite similar, accompanied further by notes of wood, syrup, peppery essence, barley, fruit, and some leather. It's certainly not as sweet as most I've experienced over time. This has likely shaped my palate a bit and may cause me to rate it slightly lower than usual. This isn't to say it isn't good by any means. I enjoyed and finished 2 ounces of this without issue. Interested to discover what other variations these producers have to offer.

Selected by one store. The aroma has cherry, prunes, oily barrel spices, dry erase marker, raw untoasted peanuts, violets, and bubble gum. It also contains that dry dust found in all Texas whiskey. The taste is incredibly sweet. It begins like pecan pie that stings as it goes down your throat, then transforms into old lady perfume, red hard candy, and peanut brittle before the syrupy sweetness fades, leaving candied pecans. It then changes into Christmas potpourri and concludes like a pine forest. The texture is very thick. It's like the TV show "Dallas" in liquid form. It's very enjoyable. It's very harsh. Do not drink this if you have a sore throat. It's too intense for a comfortable daily drink, in my opinion.