hansmootho
Garrison Brothers Single Barrel Bourbon, Barrel Proof
Bourbon — Texas, USA, USA
Reviewed
March 12, 2021 (edited March 15, 2021)
I have heard high praise on Garrison bottles so when a friend was heading to Florida on vacation I asked him to check out the local Total Wine. He returned with a store pick BP for me which wasn't ideal since it was pricey without much info, but I'm glad to have one to taste and share.
Nose is... well first let's talk about this color... this dram just looks sexy with its dark amber tone. Not sure if it is the mash, the barrel, or some black magic, but it's damn pretty. Now back to the nose... vanilla and caramel tend to pop out here for me. Honestly it's almost like a vanilla Coke. Surprisingly there is not a heavy ethanol presence despite the 120 proof point.
First sip is pretty hot from the start and that corn comes through off the bat. There is a sudden rush of flavor after that initial habanero heat that floods you with caramel, brown sugar, and cinnamon warmth. As the sun sets the barrel char starts to take the stage and you get some real toasting (maybe this should be a breakfast pour with it's maple syrup French toast notes). The closing just lingers a bit with that soft cinnamon heat before finally fading away.
So I have heard the debates out of Kentucky and Tennessee that no one else can make great whiskey. It's too hot in Texas, there's not enough fluctuations in climate and temp, etc. Fortunately I don't buy it after trying whiskeys from a number of places that have been excellent. This is a really good bottle. At $150 it needs to be better for me though. The burn on the front end might send many drinkers to find some ice (which is great if that's how you like to sip). The middle and finish save this dram for me. I definitely want to grab the double barrel version and maybe a bottle of Cowboy, but at this price the value isn't there for me to be seeking out another of the single barrels.
150.0
USD
per
Bottle
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I agree with others on here. Their single barrels can be hit or miss and are nothing near cowboy or balmorhea
@hansmootho Cowboy is the way to go with GB. Their CS single barrels can be hit and miss, but Cowboy always is a hit.
@hansmootho FWIW, the 2019 Cowboy is easily my favorite bourbon, and currently my highest rated spirit of all time. Balmo is slightly under that, but not by much. Both are fantastic and, in my opinion, worth the price for the experience.
@hansmootho I’ve had the Balmo, which is delicious. I haven’t had Cowboy but @ctrexman and @bourbonobsessedlexington have sung it’s praises and honestly it’s only a few dollars more. I’m thinking about sinking the $200 for Cowboy soon. It’s not the most I’ve ever spent on a bottle...
@WhiskeyLonghorn Have you had the Balhormea or Cowboy? If so how are they? Wondering if either are worth a try.
Issue is price. They’re clearly marketing towards the aficionado premium drinker market. At $150, they’re playing in the mid-teens to low 20s age group single malt territory. Unless if you’re a die-hard GB or bourbon fan, at $150 there’s much better older and complex single malts ( Springbank, Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Talisker )
GB is about an hour from my house and they have a kick ass your on a beautiful hill country property, but I also agree that they’re overpriced for the market. They have been expanding production capacity in the past few years so I hope they results in lower prices soon. Also, anybody who argues that the temperature doesn’t fluctuate enough in Texas has clearly not spent enough time in Texas...
I think TX is giving KY a run for their money and TN as well. The GB bourbons all finish so well. Too bad their price tags are as big as their state!
Oh wow, I didn’t know they offered a single barrel, barrel proof bottling. Would be interested in try this, but I agree that this is a really steep price, especially given that the Cowboy is just another $60ish or so at retail.