No matter which bottle or batch you choose you can count on it being one of the best anywhere. And there is Honey Dew, which is aged four years in charred American white oak casks and “infused with Texas-grown and Texas-made Burleson’s wildflower honey” according to the company. There is Estacado, aged three years in a white oak barrel and finished for six months in eight heritage Llano Estacado Winery port wine casks. If that is too strong for you, there are other choices, like Boot Flask and Balmorhea, which is twice barreled. This stuff was heat-forged in Texas, after all.” While surprising, maybe it ought not be, as that restraint makes it ideal for summertime drinking. For something strong enough to run a car engine, the finish is incredibly smooth. It should always be savored in moderation. Their website says it best when partaking of this award-winning bourbon to “…proceed with caution barrel-proof bourbon is not for everyone. That’s right 137 proof, not for the faint of heart.
If there is a top of the line bourbon at Garrison Brothers it is their 2018 Cowboy, which is uncut and unfiltered, straight bourbon whiskey, 137 proof. Bottles even include custom labels with information on who it was bottled for.
What makes this one so unique is that visitors to the distillery can actually pick the barrel they want the bourbon to come from, and have it bottled for them right there. It is described as being “amber-crimson like a Texas sunset, darker, richer, and fuller than almost any other bourbon on the market.” They take pride in the fact that their bourbon is made completely in Hye, Texas, from a sweet mash of premium food-grade corn, soft red winter wheat bought from local farms and two row barley.Ģ019 Single Barrel is another popular selection. The 2019 Small Batch is one of their prize-winning batches. Garrison Brothers makes several distinct types of bourbon. People from near and far making their way to the Texas Hill Country to claim a bottle or two or three and the countless awards they have won for their bourbon. This is not a job, its more like a calling. It comes through in the work they put into each batch they make. Garrison Brothers Distillery is a family enterprise, driven by a desire to make the best bourbon anywhere on the planet, and driven by a sense of family, faith in God, and a belief in good friends and good times. It is a scene not unlike a sporting event, where cars line up for miles as people come to the distillery to claim their bottles of the special bourbon. Ever since, they have made a name for themselves that has people driving long distances whenever they release new batches every year. Garrison Brothers Distillery is actually the oldest legal bourbon distillery in Texas, having been granted the first bourbon distiller’s permit outside of Kentucky and Tennessee in 2006. Forged in the 100 degree heat they get for many months and the natural woods and ingredients of Texas, Garrison Brothers Distillery has something Kentucky can’t hold a candle to. They believe it is the uniqueness of Texas, and the Texas hill country, that makes theirs the best bourbon anywhere. That and horses of course.īut the Garrison Brothers believe, and so do many others, that their bourbon is better than anything that comes from the great state of Kentucky. That is what Kentucky is supposed to be known for. Mention bourbon and most people who know whiskey think of Kentucky. The fact that such a fine bourbon comes out of Texas is surprising to most. Well, when I say most people not realizing this fact, I mean people outside of Texas, because if the line of cars making what seems almost like a pilgrimage to the Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye Texas is any indication, people who love Bourbon surely know about this home of fine bourbon. One thing that most people may not realize though is that Texas is also home to one of the finest bourbons made anywhere in the world. To them everything else is a cheap imitation.
Texans also take great pride in their barbecue and their beer too. They are proud of almost everything about their state, from the size of it, to the football teams, to the mindset of its inhabitants. One thing everyone knows about Texans is that they are a proud bunch.