Episode 35: Garrison Brothers Single Barrel Cask Strength Honeydew Bourbon

The Pot Still Column: Episode 35

Garrison Brothers Single Barrel Cask Strength Honeydew Bourbon "My First Texas Honey" Selected by San Diego Bourbon & Scotch Sharing

Proof: 121.6

Age: 8 Years

Finish: Texas Wildflower Honey

Source: Garrison Brothers Distillery (Hye, Texas)

Price: $186.99

Who doesn't love Garrison Brothers? A lot of people-- that's who.

The fast-aged, sun-tortured bourbon from Hye, Texas has won the hearts of many whiskey drinkers across the country, but just as many are turned off by the overwhelmingly oaky profile. Garrison Brothers distinguishes itself by using food-grade corn in its mash bill, a decision that seems genius to some consumers and wasteful to others. The distillery markets itself as the source of the best damn bourbon on the planet, a claim that walks the line between good old Western confidence and arrogant bravado. Whether their claims are accurate or not, the company prices their products as though there is no doubt that they make the best damn bourbon on the planet, and even their humblest offering cannot be found for less than $80. Finally, the website makes no secret of the company's conservative values and religious affiliation, a collection of traits that appeals to some folks, but makes others wary. Garrison Brothers is a loud, brash, and potent product, both in spirit and substance, so it is no surprise that their bourbon is so divisive.

I happen to enjoy Garrison Brothers' bourbons, or at least most of them. When I first dipped my toes into the whiskey hurricane in which I am now slowly drowning, Garrison Brothers opened my eyes to the atypical possibilities of bourbon outside of the mainstream. The Texas bourbon set me on a path to explore the craft side of whiskey, and I still follow (and prefer) that path today. In a way, Garrison Brothers helped make me the judgmental, overweight, and financially irresponsible pseudo-alcoholic that I am today. However, I lost my passion for the Texas distillery as my palate developed and I learned that not everything had to hit my taste buds like a baseball bat for me to enjoy it. Today, I own several bottles of Garrison Brothers bourbon, but they spend more time collecting dust than filling glasses. The reason for this is simple: whether they make the best damn bourbon on the planet may be up for debate, but their bourbon is undoubtedly just too damn much sometimes.

Part of the reason why I rarely patronize Garrison Brothers Distillery is the price. Buying a four-year-old bourbon for $200 is a big no-can-do, buckaroo, as I imagine the folks at Garrison Brothers would put it. At that price, a bottle of bourbon better shit gold, and as far as I know, bourbons don't shit. While I regularly put my wallet on the chopping block to try young whiskeys from little-known craft distilleries, Garrison Brothers has failed to create a product distinct enough from their standard bourbon to provide me the hopeful excitement that I need to make such a risky purchase. The distillery makes some great products, but most, if not all, taste incredibly similar, removing the thrill of discovery and novelty from the tasting and shopping experience.

Like many Texas distilleries, Garrison Brothers bourbon has turned out to be somewhat of a cult whiskey. The bourbon is too expensive to be a "daily drinker," too flashy to be a shelf turd, and not generic enough to be a tater trophy. While Balcones Distillery's home town of Waco may be better known for its cults, Garrison Brothers seems to have gathered an equally outspoken and loyal following in Hye. Those who like Garrison Brothers adore it, and those who dislike it get chased out of town by a horde of cowboys with torches and pitchforks.

While it may appeal strongly to many, Garrison Brothers fails to connect with seasoned bourbon drinkers in part because of it's unimpressive age statements. The Texan distillery has had a difficult time aging bourbon for any significant period of time in the Texas heat, and their flagship small batch bourbon is only aged for three years. There are, however, some exceptions to the generally short aging periods, and the subject of today's review is one such exception.

"My First Texas Honey" is the first and only cask strength single barrel selection of Garrison Brother's Honeydew Bourbon. The one-of-a-kind barrel was aged for an extended period of 8 Texas Summers, and finished additionally with oak cubes soaked in Texas wildflower honey. Unlike Honeydew which is proofed down to 40% ABV, this honeyed bourbon was bottled at a whopping 121.6 proof, and yielded an incredibly low volume of 39 bottles. Most Garrison Brothers single barrel picks rarely make it past 4 years in the barrel, so the prolonged aging and uncommon finishing process make this a completely unique bottle of bourbon.

The nose, as can be expected, is dense with hot, oaky, Texas funk. Examined in comparison with another similarly proofed single barrel, the cask strength Honeydew is tremendously different. The differences far surpassed my expectations, as I fully expected both to taste like the traditional Garrison Brothers profile that I have come to know. Ironically, the barrel that I chose as a control sample was similarly named, "TX Honey," although it lacks the wildflower honey finish of its counterpart.

After the shock subsides, I am able to clearly detect a shared foundation between the two bourbons. The difference is that the honey finished bourbon introduces layers of complexity that aren't found in the standard version. The unfinished Garrison Brothers smells bright in comparison to the dark, dusty, and intensely nutty flavors present in the finished pick. Far from peanuts, the nuttiness resembles a hazelnut dessert such as Nutella, or maybe a macadamia nut chocolate. Interestingly enough, I don't recognize any defined notes of honey among the aromas, even with the inescapable expectation bias in play. Instead I find milk chocolate alongside woodland smells of fallen trees and moss. Based on the scent alone, this is hardly recognizable as a bourbon, and the spicy oak notes might lead me to believe that this is an off-profile American single malt if tasted blindly. Whether I like the entire product has not yet been decided, but the complexity that I encounter on the nose is a rare treat, both from this distillery and across all of bourbon.

On the initial wash, the bourbon is certainly hot, but the heat precedes waves of flavor. In a strange way, the whiskey is delicate, or at least requires a delicate, detailed analysis. Garrison Brothers is usually very bold in its approach, greeting one's taste buds with a few loud but short-lived notes of oak, leather, and dust. This bourbon expresses itself very differently, showing restraint on the palate and presenting almost shyly, especially for the brand. The tannins and sting that I find in the comparison bottle just don't exist on the Honeydew pick, and the flavor is much more approachable. While the honey still doesn't appear explicitly, the Honeydew bourbon is noticeably sweeter which is a welcome addition to the otherwise dark profile.

As I begin to formulate scores in my head, I find it difficult to criticize the bourbon because I am enjoying it so much. There is some obvious room for improvement-- the texture could be thicker, the mouthfeel less biting, and the finish more...existent-- but the collective experience is wonderful.

Closing Impression:

This may very well be the Garrison Brothers bourbon to change the mind of those who generally don't love the distillery. While the unfinished bourbon tastes more traditionally "bourbony," the Honeydew barrel is far more gentle, complex, and welcoming. Even with these redeeming attributes, appreciating this bourbon fully requires some patience and willingness to dissect. I can easily see consumers writing it off as overly funky, off-profile, or downright strange, but a closer look would certainly reveal a job well done. If Garrison Brothers didn't price their whiskey like they hate their customers, this would be a great bourbon to add to anyone's collection. Even so, I can't recommend this bourbon in any official capacity because it simply doesn't exist anywhere outside of the handful of bottles that were made. However, if you manage to track me down, I will pour you a sample. At least that would mean that my SEO is working (I don't think it is).

Nose: 91/100

Taste: 92/100

Finish: 82/100

Overall: 88/100