Garrison Brothers Single Barrel Bourbon Review

BourbonReviewsAmerican WhiskeySingle Barrel PicksGarrison Bros.Texas

Dec 2

Written By David Levine

Garrison Brothers Single Barrel: Specs

Classification: Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Origin: Garrison Brothers Distillery

Proof: 94 (47% ABV)

Age: NAS (Noted 4+Y)

Eye: Dark maple syrup. Thin rims and legs.

Garrison Brothers Single Barrel Price: $110 (MSRP)

Official Website

Garrison Brothers Sginel Barrel Bourbon: Tasting Notes

Nose: Pretty nice bourbon nose - good oak spice, lots of fruitiness especially red fruits. Some menthol/eucalyptus sneaks in behind the fruit, making the nose richer and minty like a Ricola lemon-herb lozenge. Smoky tobacco and a touch of proof.

Palate: Leather and sweet herbal oak up front with mild proof heat. The oak quickly turns creamy. Smoky caramel and the eucalyptus sneak up again. There’s plenty of barrel char, verging on feeling like a rye, but there’s enough vanilla to pull it back towards bourbon. Mouthfeel is deceptive - feels thin at first then blossoms into a medium-bodied, slightly syrupy palate with a good proof heat.

Finish: Lots of menthol, the Ricola lozenge note is really kicking in. Long lasting and coating.

Overall: Overall, the menthol note is a bit strong and starts to dominate, but the heat is pretty solid for a 94 proofer and the vanilla keeps the bourbon front-of-mind.

Final Rating: 6.2

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)