Plump raisin | Leather | Spice cake | Plum | Brown sugar | Aged oak | Molasses | Intoxicating

Leather | Heavy aged oak | Shriveled raisin | Baking spices | Faint black licorice | Dab of honey | Sassafras

Spiced raisin | Leather | Root beer hard candy | Aged oak | Baking spices | Prune | Lingering dry oak

Laguna Madre has an interesting past with Garrison Brothers Distillery. Initially planned for a large-scale release in 2020, the pandemic curtailed those plans, resulting in a limited distillery-only release. Since 2021, Laguna Madre, which the company states is “named after the beautiful blue waters along Texas’ Gulf Coast and the euphoria they induce,” has been released at the distillery and via a limited nationwide release. It’s also been used as a vessel to raise money for different charitable organizations, with the 2025 benefiting FlatWorthy, which is “a coalition of diverse anglers practicing mutual respect while sharing the same resource.”

The whiskey is produced by using a two-stage process, the first being standard aging under the hot Texas sun in white American oak barrels, followed by an extended finishing time of 4 years in Limousin oak. Limousin oak “is sourced from the central forests in France and is prized for its powerful vanilla and lignin content. Trees from the forest can only be harvested when they are 120 years of age or older. Quantities of these special casks are extremely limited,” according to Garrison.

The whiskey opens with an intoxicating aroma that utilizes its extended time in the Limousin oak barrels. Plump raisin is immediately noticeable along with spice cake, brown sugar, and other assortments of deep, dark flavors. The midpoint leans into a mix of aged notes, along with sweet flavors, thanks to a dab of honey and sassafras. Ending on deep flavors of spiced raisin, root beer hard candy, along with leather and aged oak, the bourbon delivers a lingering finish that allows you to contemplate everything you just tasted. It’s the type of bourbon you want to sit with and sip slowly, taking in all the flavors and dissecting what you’re taking layer by layer.

Much like the 2024 release, this year's release results in a rich sip that will captivate those who get to try it. Extended aging in Texas can be tricky due to the extreme weather conditions the state provides; however, Garrison Brothers pulls it off beautifully with Laguna Madre. The sip is nuanced, pulling out dark, rich flavors from the Limousin oak barrels, which makes you really take your time pulling the whiskey apart and savoring what each flavor adds as it appears. This is a whiskey you’ll want to spend time with, versus rushing through before moving on to something else. The only downside is that it carries a $350 price tag that will be limiting to many. That said, for those who are able to try this limited release, it’ll make you wonder how Garrison Brothers has been able to master its Texas aging environment so well.

The bourbon in review is number 1110 of 3000.