Garrison Brothers: The Texas Distillery That’s Redefining Whiskey

When it comes to allocated whiskey releases that sell out in a flash, names like the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, Birthday Bourbon, and Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch come to mind. But now, you can add Texas distillery Garrison Brothers to that list. Their new cask-strength, single-barrel bourbon was snapped up quickly, and for good reason.

Garrison Brothers, located about an hour’s drive from Austin, was the first legal whiskey distillery to operate in Texas when it opened in 2005. The distillery is known for making bold, intense wheated bourbon with a strong oaky flavor due to the extreme temperature shifts in the Texas countryside that increase interaction between whiskey and wood.

I’ve had the pleasure of trying several Garrison Brothers releases, including the Guadalupe expression finished in port barrels, the extremely high-proof Cowboy Bourbon, and last year’s Laguna Madre, which was their oldest release to date. This week, the distillery announced that master distiller Donnis Todd selected four different casks to be released as cask-strength, single-barrel expressions. Each bottle comes with a label that reads “Father’s Day June 16th, 2024” and can be custom engraved on the back with the message of your choice.

Garrison Brothers distillery, where the magic happens

These single-barrel expressions are even older than the Laguna Madre release, each having spent nine years maturing in the Texas countryside. The proof ranges from a reasonable 128.8 to a certifiable hazmat level of 144.9 (that’s about 72.5 percent alcohol by volume). There were a very limited number of bottles available based on the yield from each barrel—56 came from the lowest proof cask, while just 10 bottles were salvaged from the highest proof barrel. It looks like the angels drank more than their fair share of these whiskeys while maturing in the hot Texas climate, which explains why so little liquid was left—and, subsequently, why these sold out so quickly.

“The angels drank more than their fair share of these whiskeys while maturing in the hot Texas climate…”

But don’t worry, there’s still hope for those who missed out. A new release from Garrison Brothers that you can actually purchase is the distillery’s Lady Bird expression, which returned to the lineup this month. This bourbon, named after Lady Bird Johnson, is aged for four years, infused with Texas wildflower honey for eight to nine months, and then aged for an additional three years in French XO Cognac casks. It’s bottled at 114 proof, and official tasting notes describe sweet honey, fresh grass, dark chocolate, cherry, and fig on the palate.

Lady Bird bourbon, a sweet and savory delight

If you’re a whiskey enthusiast, you owe it to yourself to try Garrison Brothers’ latest releases. With their bold flavors and unique aging process, they’re redefining what whiskey can be. So, what are you waiting for? Get your hands on a bottle of Lady Bird or keep an eye on the secondary market for those elusive single-barrel expressions.