Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon (5th Release)

Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon Review

Garrison Brothers Distillery

Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey

68.65% ABV/137.3 Proof

NAS

Eye: Dark amber maple syrup - again, gorgeous. Very thin rims and legs.

Nose: This smells like an ECBP full stop - hot as hell, bourbon at full power and its purest form. Damn that’s good. Smoky maple sweetness rolls in next with red fruits macerating. Crispy pretzel crusts, too.

Palate: Not as hot as expected (even for 137.3 proof) but still a good wallop to the tongue. The Ricola note is there again!? This is a brown sugar and maple powerhouse. Smoke and heat keep going all the way, with just enough maple brown sugar to keep the balance. Mouthfeel is heavy, coating, hot, fantastic. Lots of tobacco and char with burnt maple candies.

Finish: Mouthwatering, sweet maple candies, a dark unctuous fruitiness. You’d never know the proof was there, it’s just smooth and dissolves over the palate.

Overall: I love this! Of the four I tried, I think the Garrison Brothers Balmorhea was the most balanced, but I’m a proud proof whore and so I love this sweet heat monster.

Rating: 7.8

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)

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