Honey | Charred oak | Concord grape | Sage | Brown sugar | Molasses | Thick & sweet

Charred oak | Vanilla extract | Honey | Stone fruits | Vanilla

Robust honey | Raisin | Molasses | Charred oak | Old leather | Pepper

Lady Bird is one of many barrel finished whiskeys that Garrison Brothers produces each year, with the 2025 release being the third edition of this line. Garrison Brothers is the king of going big, and Lady Bird encapsulates that belief. There’s nothing meek about this release; it’s big, expressive, and bold in every way possible.

It would be easy for any bourbon to be overpowered by the combination of honey and a Cognac finish. But because Garrison Brothers’ bourbon is bold in its own right, it can stand up to those intense flavors and even push back. Honey is the dominating flavor here and perhaps a bit too strong for its own good, as it lingers on your tongue long after the sip. However, a better balance develops when paired with the strong molasses and charred oak notes of Garrison Brothers bourbon against the dark grape and stone fruit spread produced by the Cognac finishing.

It’s worth pointing out that the first few pours of this bottle (or the “neck pour,” as some call it) were extremely off-balanced. It was sickly sweet with honey completely dominating the sip. However, after some time, the bourbon found a better balance and completely changed how it was presented. Comparing this year’s release to last year’s, it further proves that the 2025 release prioritizes its finishing flavors over its bourbon ones. The result is a much sweeter-tasting whiskey. There are plenty of drinkers who will enjoy this, but it proves how better balanced the previous edition was.

Lady Bird will remain a polarizing pour for many, but that comes with all Garrison Brothers whiskeys. The whiskey is rich and full-flavored, and there is little else on the market that comes close to its boldness of flavor.