Fresh vanilla glazed donut | Brown sugar | Sugar plum | Sweet oak | Light leather | Nougat | Butterscotch | Incredibly pleasing

Pound cake | Vanilla frosting | Light rye spice | Butterscotch sauce | Faint dried oak | Dinner roll | White peppercorn | Touch of wildflower honey

Wildflower honey | Vanilla cake | Chewy oak | Light rye spice | Nougat | Touch of brown sugar

Sonora bourbon is the ninth expression from Garrison Brothers Distillery out of Hye, Texas. To create Sonora, in March 2022, the company took their 4 year old Garrison Brothers bourbon and aged it for additional years in used rye barrels, allowing the bourbon to experience seven hot Texas summers, a fact that Garrison Brothers readily points out. The company states that  the bourbon “draws its name from the awe-inspiring Caverns of Sonora, a crystal kingdom hidden beneath Texas limestone.”

Sonora is also a tribute to the women of Garrison Brothers Distillery. Master Distiller Donnis Todd guided Samantha Olvera on this project. The company states that “Olvera has been a leader within the Garrison Brothers distilling team for the last seven years and is also the first female Latina in Texas to craft bourbon from grain to glass.” Nancy Garrison, Co-founder, Garrison Brothers Distillery, states, “Garrison Brothers Sonora Bourbon is a testament to the power of female leadership, collaboration and true craftsmanship. Since starting in 2006, we have had the privilege of working with many female leaders as part of our family business including Samantha Olvera on our distilling team. It’s nice to share their stories through bourbon.”

Like other limited release bottles from Garrison, the first thing you’ll notice about Sonora is the detail the company put into the actual bottle. From the ruby red wax, to the female draped in a cape and cowboy hat in its star emblem, down to the amber wheat grain and bat images on the metal wrapper, it’s a gorgeous bottle to take in, especially given the season it’s being released. Thankfully, this bottle isn’t all show and no tell, as the sip matches the beautiful design every step of the way.

It starts with an incredibly pleasing aroma full of rich, sweet notes, including a fresh vanilla glazed donut scent that makes your mouth water. The bourbon's wheated mashbill and rye barrel finish are on full display in the midpoint as light spice dances with sweet notes, including pound cake and wildflower honey. These sweet notes carry through to the finish and are joined by chewy oak, which highlights the extended finish Sonora had in used rye barrels.

This is an incredibly well-balanced and intriguing pour from Garrison Brothers Distillery. While longer aging in Texas can often lead to over-oaked or harsh flavors, Sonora showcases none of those traits, instead delivering a pleasing sip that will satisfy those who get their hands on this limited release.

The bottle in review is number 1,548 of 6,000.