Garrison Brothers HoneyDew

For this one, Garrison Brothers transferred their four year old small batch bourbon into stainless steel tanks, threw in some upcycled bourbon barrels repurposed into wooden cubes that were soaked in Burleson’s Texas Wildflower Honey to the tanks, pulled it out seven months later and lastly bottled it at 80 proof. A huge thanks to @ctbeck11 for the generous sample as I’m curious to find out if those honey bourbon cubes, stainless steel aging and low proof make for an easy sipping bourbon treat. On the nose, it’s very simple and light with freshly rolled raw cinnamon roll dough topped with a cinnamon sugar/butter mixture and some light barrel spices with light ethanol burn. A taste reveals a thin-medium mouthfeel that starts with that raw cinnamon roll dough with some toasted pecans then chocolate, light fruit followed by light barrel spices with a light ethanol burn that finishes medium length with cinnamon honey butter on toast, a cup of Mexican hot chocolate and candied pecans. This is almost like a sweet tea that has been spiced with bourbon that tastes mediocre at first, but the more I drink, the more flavors emerge with more raw cinnamon roll and lingering honey. It’s not complicated, but it’s extremely easy to sip on without turning into a sickly sweet drink with those bourbon flavors coming through and honey emerging on the finish. These appear to cost $70 which is more than I’d want to pay, and would rather have a WR Double Oak (Hershey’s syrup covered banana split with cherries) or an OF 1920 (chocolate covered alcoholic cherries with creamy center) for my sweet whiskey craving, but if a raw cinnamon roll with honey butter is more your style, you’ll really like this.

I have tried this neat, with water and whiskey stones. It was great every way! This will be a regular in my liquor cabinet!

Nose - skillet cornbread. leather oil, wet honeycomb. Underripe white flesh peaches. Raw biscuit dough. Carmelized light brown sugar. Palate - Cracker Jacks. Grilled white corn and something floral such as honeysuckle. Honeycomb cereal. Finish - wispy honey and spice up front and dry honey returns at the end with oaky sawdust and powdered sugar icing. moderately long. Light and tight Conclusion - good complexity for the proof, probably the best flavored whiskey I’ve had, this loses some for the value compared to the cost, but very nice, got a little too sweet by the end of the bottle