Garrison Brothers Balmorhea Texas Straight Bourbon

2021 release that's been open just over a year, probably my oldest bottle at this point. Bottle No. 20,399. N: Sweet smelling with kettle corn coated in caramel, sweet corn on the cob (fresh), oak with a woody funk, stone fruit, ethanol, vanilla, toasted nuts, hint of old books, maybe just a dash of citrus. P: Sweet corn, cheek puckering oak tannins, more of the woody almost sawdust funk, brown sugar, dash of vanilla, burnt nuts, some more of that old book note that shows up more like dusty old paper, caramel when you draw air across it, subtler notes of cinnamon and other baking spice. F: Salty, sweet, vanilla, caramel, more tannins - on the tongue now, funky medicinal notes, burnt corn, lightly cooked brown sugar, touch of ethanol, very minimal heat (but some). I know the cult following for this and Cowboy. But both to me are really niche whiskies. If you like them, you probably really like them. If you don't, they're wildly overpriced. I'm in the latter camp. This comes across over-oaked to me. And that oft noted GB funk doesn't do anything good for me. I'd prefer it wasn't there. I suspect my Cowboy review, whenever I get to it, will be about the same. I think I may revisit in a few years - palates change - but for now, there's not enough value in this for me. I do love the story though - Ozarks oak for four years, another year in Minnesota oak. Being from Minnesota (originally), I really want to like this, but the overwhelming impression I'm left with is tannin. That's fine in moderation, but not as a primary note. And certainly not for the going rate of $160 (although I got a better deal than that). At that price (and what I paid), there are numerous other bottles I would prefer to this. ____________ Please come join an unofficial Distiller community on Discord: https://discord.gg/VSmCvzAQfH. We chat spirits (and other things) in real time while being a great resource to each other for recommendations, finding deals, and generally enjoying the journey together. (If the link is expired, please post a comment and I will provide a new one.)

Very bland compared to Kentucky bourbon but still smooth

Semisweet, a bit oily. I get caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, cherry, banana bread, barrel spices, tobacco, leather, oak and a hint of tropical fruit. No water needed. Long finish with sweet banana bread. Thoroughly enjoyable whiskey. Thanks to @ContemplativeFox for the sample.