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Classification: Straight Bourbon Finished in Tawny Port Casks
Company: Garrison Brothers Distillery
Distillery: Garrison Brothers Distillery
Release Date: July 2025
Proof: 107
Age: NAS (4 year old straight bourbon finished for an additional 2 years in tawny port casks, according to company press release)
Mashbill: 74% Corn, 15% Wheat, 11% Malted Barley
Color: Dark Mahogany
MSRP: $150 / 750mL (2025)
Raisin | Syrup | Dark berries | Brown sugar | Port | Crème Brûlée | Milk Chocolate | Intense oak
Raisin | Leather | Dry oak | Burnt brown butter | Faint mixed berries | Plum | Port
Brownie mix | Leather | Raisin | Dry oak | Dry light spice
Always an interesting release, this year’s Garrison Brothers Guadalupe showcases its Texas aging environment in full effect.
Garrison Brothers Distillery is located in Hye, Texas, which is about an hour’s drive west of Austin, Texas. The distillery was founded in 2006, making them the first and oldest whiskey distillery in Texas. The distillery was founded by Dan Garrison, who had left a position in software marketing to follow his dream. With help from friends, family, and the late Dave Pickerell, Garrison Brothers Distillery overcame challenges specific to Texas. This includes aging whiskey in the state’s dry heat, which tends to draw the whiskey out of the barrels much faster than usual, resulting in significant losses due to leaky barrels and evaporation.
It’s been a year and a half since Garrison Brothers released the 2024 Guadalupe batch. Made by taking bourbon distilled and aged for 4 years in the Texas heat, Garrison Brothers Master Distiller Donnis Todd then ages the whiskey for two additional years in tawny port casks. This is the fifth release of Guadalupe, and in 2025, the bottle count was down compared to last year, with approximately 8,600 bottles being produced.
The time in the Texas heat is evident right from the start as the sip is intense all the way through. It starts with a nose that announces this is a finished bourbon as scents of port, dark berries, raisin, and syrup are prominently showcased. The midpoint hones in on raisin, leather, and dry oak that butt up against mixed berries, plum, and port notes. The finish leans into an overtly dry note as leather, raisin, dry oak, and a light spice mingle with brownie mix.
This year's version of Garrison Brothers Guadalupe is an intense pour through and through, and it’s not for the faint of heart. The extended time in the finishing barrels is once again amplified thanks to its Texas aging environment, resulting in another potent and flavorful pour.
The bottle in review is number 2939.
