Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey

Nose: Abundant corn and heavy oak dominate, with other scents being subtle. Hints of caramel, a touch of tropical fruit, toffee, and cinnamon—actually, the cinnamon is quite prominent, mixed with the oak. Mint, menthol, and perhaps some green rye grain are also present. Palate: Overwhelmingly cinnamon, with sweet corn and caramel following. There might be some tart fruit beneath the cinnamon. The entire experience feels like a finish from the start—intensely hot. (It feels like I'm repeating myself because there's not much variety here.) A slight bitterness concludes the drink. This is essentially a one-dimensional whiskey, focused solely on tasting like the inside of a barrel, at a high price. It drinks far too young. Furthermore, it's easily the poorest value I've encountered in whiskey. Significantly better bottles are available for half the $72 I paid. Eagle Rare, often around $35, is a better option. This doesn't even compare to Wild Turkey 101 (around $25), or perhaps even Evan Williams BIB (around $15). To bring it back to Texas, Balcones bottles in the $70-80 range have all been excellent, and their less expensive offerings have been at least intriguing. The marketing language on the bottle, emphasizing Texas exceptionalism, is generally irritating for a former Texan like myself who never quite connected with it. When the liquid inside doesn't live up to it, one has to wonder. Is it possible the maker intentionally created an unpleasant whiskey and marketed it to appeal to oil field roughnecks, aspiring cowboys, and men who want their whiskey to have a 'kick,' and are willing to pay for it, especially with a Lone Star emblem and a warning about leaving it in a hot truck? Ultimately, I see this more as a marketing product than a substantial whiskey contributing to the Texas whiskey discussion. This is especially disappointing given the positive comments about Balmorhea and Cowboy.

Nose: Smoky honey, aged wood (which is good), a floral hint (maybe forsythia?), fresh chocolate cake, hay, and graham crackers. After sipping, a note of corn tortilla emerged. Mouthfeel: Thick. Taste: Honey, milk chocolate, a touch of citrus, dark chocolate, and red pepper. The palate doesn't offer as much as the nose, but this doesn't detract from its quality or complexity. Finish: Medium-long and less complex than the rest of the whisky, with oak transitioning into dark chocolate. I appreciate oak that turns into chocolate, making for a pleasant finish, though I wish it lasted longer. Summary: Many Texas whiskies mimic Kentucky styles, but this one embraces its origin. It's not worth $81, but it's very good. I likely won't repurchase at that price, but might if it were $60-70. Rating: A solid 7 out of 8 on my personal scale, translating to 4.375 stars, 87.5/100, or 8.75/10.

Prior to this, I had never bought anything from this distillery. Considering the cost, you can find much more respected bourbons that are safer choices. However, I saw this in a boot flask on sale for $12.93, marked down from $45, and decided to give it a try. Anyone who follows my reviews knows I consider price, and I don't really trust people who don't. I'm not rich and my choices are heavily influenced by cost. As for the product itself? I'd say it's very close to moonshine. It's excessively sweet and cloying, with minimal barrel influence. I think it's a 3-year-old bourbon, but is that a valid reason to market something this awful at a high price? This seems to be my final encounter with this distillery. Given the flavor profile and how unpleasant I find it, I wouldn't risk any of their other products, even at a discount. I'd rather have Jim Beam White Label, which, until I tasted this, I considered the worst whisky I'd ever had. Congratulations, distillery, you've taken the top spot.

An exceptional Wheated Bourbon Whiskey from Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye, Texas, made with a mash bill of 74% corn, 15% red winter wheat, and 11% two-row barley; aged for at least 3 years in American white oak barrels before being bottled at 94 proof. It begins with an aromatic profile featuring notes of grain, wood, fruits, nuts, herbs, and spices; a rich and creamy mid-palate introduces notes of caramel apple, yellow pound cake, orange candy, verbena, freshly cut grass, and honeysuckle; the long and warming finish reveals notes of lemon gumdrops, sugar cookies, oak, cinnamon, orange blossom honey, coconut, walnut, molasses, and saddle leather. June 2024 Story and Tasting with Master Distiller Donnis Todd

NEAT NOSE - Oranges, Honey, Maple, Sweet Oak, and Brown Sugar PALATE - Features the signature 'barnyard', grassy, hay note found in all Garrison Brothers products. The mouthfeel is pleasing and buttery. The flavors are rich and decadent, with honey and maple being the most dominant notes. FINISH - A long finish of brown sugar and sweet oak. BUY? - Definitely, though like many, I didn't initially appreciate Garrison Brothers. I used to dislike it, but now I love their very distinct and characteristic flavor profile. There's truly nothing else like it, and their small batch is the ideal starting point. BUY AGAIN? - Absolutely!!!!

My thanks to a friend for the sample! I'm seeing a trend… Smells like roses, caramel, and sugar. Feels like orange, leather, and salt. Some vanilla is present. Mouthfeel is quite saline. Finish is subtle, but I detect more orange. More salt. Something else lingers in the finish… I'm struggling to identify it. Best guess is grape jelly. That's not quite right though. It becomes dominant and I notice it on the nose now as well. I actually really enjoy it. Maybe Pepsi? Quite good. It gives me Jack & Coke vibes, but elevated.