Dapper_Donny
Garrison Brothers Balmorhea Texas Straight Bourbon
Bourbon — Texas, USA
Reviewed
June 13, 2019 (edited December 30, 2019)
God bless Texas! I have become quite the fan of the Garrison Brothers line of bourbons, particularly their Cowboy Bourbon. That's why I immediately grabbed this off the shelf when I saw it—I truly felt like I hit the lotto in that moment. Most will have a tough time justifying spending $140 for a bourbon that is only 4-5 years old, but that is only because they haven't tried them some Cowboy Bourbon or Balmorhea.
Like their Cowboy Bourbon, Balmorhea is incredibly dark in color. It's not quite the deep dark purple that you see in the Cowboy Bourbon, but it still looks great in your glass with its super dark crimson red appearance.
N: Not much burn here. Lots of oak, caramel and brown sugar.
P: VERY oily/chewy palate, which I love! This thing is very creamy and full bodied. Like their Cowboy Bourbon, the pallet is oily, almost like a maple syrup. Flavors include caramel, pecan, and hints of oak.
F: Medium finish with no burn, which I was expecting/hoping for given its proof. The finish is sweet like a cotton candy with hints of oak and pepper.
I don't know if I fully buy into Garrison Brothers claim that 4 years in the Texas heat equates to 23 years in Kentucky, but I will say that this juice tastes a lot more mature than what one would expect from a 4-year-old bourbon. While I love their Cowboy Bourbon (clocking in at 134-139 proof), Balmorhea's lower proof is a nice change of pace and a fun one to sip on a warm summer day. This does not drink like a 115 proof bourbon (I can't decide if that's good or bad yet) as there is absolutely no alcohol burn present. What you've got is a very smooth, flavorful experience from start to finish. I highly recommend. Don't let the price tag cause you to miss out on a great bourbon from an awesome craft distillery. #TexasForever
140.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@Anthology will for sure add reviews of each. In general I do really enjoy Garrison Brothers but for sure do feel they come with a heavy premium. I have had Cowboy Bourbon from prior years and have really enjoyed them , just not enough to spring for the bottle. Will let you know if this batch is worth it. Cheers!
@dubz480 Looking forward to you notes from the D&T event. I just picked up a bottle of the Balmorhea. Targeting the Cowboy next...all things being equal. Interested to hear whether all the hype holds up.
@dubz480 let me know what you think—-at those prices for such young bourbon, it’s gotta be damn good
@PBMichiganWolverine everything Garrison Brothers is going to be really high price wise. I am attending a dinner and tasting. of their entire line in a couple of weeks. I'll keep you posted. This and the new Cowboy Bourbon are included.
@dubz480 did you ever end up trying this? I noticed this is now on shelves here, so looks like they increased their distribution. But it’s a high asking price... especially when I think the standard pole bearer ( ELijah Craig barrel proof) is much cheaper
@dubz480 "It's like a blood moon, honey! It's not every day that an incredible bourbon is available, on Father's day, and it's on sale." 🤷🏻♂️
@Dapper_Donny And we get 10% off this week on Spirits Direct so that drops it to $135. I may drop a strong hint to the wife for Father's Day! 🤣
@dubz480 I wouldn't hesitate my friend. Hopefully their prices will go down as they grow their operations but I still wouldn't hesitate to pick up at its current price. I'm probably going to go back and pick up another bottle before everyone else becomes the wiser.
Great Review. I have been chewing on this one. It's about $150 in my market.