Garrison Brothers whiskies

History

The distillery was born in the mid-2000s at the hands of Dan Garrison, who, after visiting Kentucky distilleries, decided to make bourbon on his family’s ranch in Texas, something nobody had done there since Prohibition. It took him years to obtain the permits and start production, and his first bourbon reached the market in the 2010s. Since then the house has grown without leaving the ranch, and its high-strength editions, such as Cowboy Bourbon, have become much sought after by American enthusiasts.

House style

Garrison Brothers’ bourbons are rich and powerful, with dark caramel, vanilla, cherry, spice and very present oak. The Texas heat, with big differences in temperature between day and night, makes the whiskey work hard with the wood, which is why it is dense even with few years. The house uses local corn, wheat and barley. The higher-strength versions benefit from a few drops of water or an ice cube, which open up the sweetness and soften the alcohol.

Where to start

Garrison Brothers Small Batch is the catalogue’s entry. If you like it, compare it with a classic Kentucky bourbon, such as Buffalo Trace, to see what the Texas climate changes, and with Balcones Baby Blue, another very different Texan whisky made from blue corn. It is best appreciated neat.

• Garrison Brothers Small BatchBourbon · 47% ABV