Reviews of Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon & HoneyDew

 

Founded in 2006 in Hye, Texas, by Dan and Nancy Garrison, Garrison Brothers Distillery is the state’s first legal post-Prohibition distillery. It uses only locally grown grains, the formidable Texas climate, and local rainwater it collects to make its whiskey, plus it bottles everything by hand, making it a true grain-to-glass operation.

 

Dan was a software marketer who decided, after Enron’s collapse, that he needed to do something different. A handful of visits to Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail helped him find his calling, and a few master distillers, including Elmer T. Lee, mentored and taught him the ropes. Dan discovered that there was a vast difference between making whiskey in Kentucky and trying to replicate it in Texas. His first batch was destroyed because of the heat. To fix the issue, Dan had to hire a cooper capable of making barrels to withstand the elements.

 

“The relentless Texas heat is brutal. Out here, it’s 100 degrees nine months out of the year; hotter inside a steel barn. It might seem crazy to buy the highest quality barrels and torture them in this heat, but doing so allows our bourbon to suck all the flavor it can from our new American oak barrels. As it matures, the bourbon cycles through the wood’s pores and crevices…” – Garrison Brothers Distillery

 

Nancy’s background is in retail buying, management, and marketing. She was the president of Scarbroughs Department Stores for 15 years. Nancy handles marketing and sales and is responsible for several of Garrison Brothers’ unique expressions. In her “spare” time (because we know distillers and small business owners have plenty of that), she is the current President and Executive Director of Good Bourbon For A Good Cause and an active board member of both the Texas Restaurant Association and the Texas Restaurant Foundation.

 

So, that takes care of the founders. There has to be a brother Garrison, right? Don’t worry, there is. His name is Charlie, and he’s helped make Garrison Brothers whiskey a nationally recognized name by handling distribution and sales.

 

Since its first bottle hit the shelves in 2010, Garrison Brothers Distillery has won over 800 awards. The distillery is also a top-rated destination by TripAdvisor, ranking in the top 10% as its Traveler’s Choice in 2024 and 2025.

 

Garrison Brothers uses a sweet mash (versus a sour mash) for its whiskeys, meaning there’s no carryover from a previous batch. That makes each batch unique, and it is also a bit risky. For what it is worth, I appreciate distillers who take chances no matter the result.

 

Garrison Brothers also employs a variety of barrel sizes to age its whiskey, including aging bourbon in 10-, 20-, 30-, 53-, and 59-gallon barrels. While we don’t know which size(s) were used, we do know that it must be aged in new, charred oak to carry “Bourbon” on the label.

 

Today, I’m reviewing two expressions: the flagship Small Batch Bourbon and HoneyDew, which is the same Bourbon infused with honey. The Small Batch Bourbon is made with an undisclosed ratio of locally grown, organic, food-grade #1 white corn, wheat, and malted barley. HoneyDew is infused with 100% Texas wildflower honey and nothing artificial.

 

What makes this handcrafted Bourbon made in Hye, Texas, so different? To answer that, we’ll have to #DrinkCurious. But first, I must thank Garrison Brothers Distillery for providing me with samples in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews.

 

One last thing: I used a fresh Glencairn glass for each neat pour, and waited 15 minutes before nosing these whiskeys to give them ample time to breathe.

Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon

 

 

• Whiskey Type: Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Garrison Brothers Distillery
• Age: 3 years
• Mashbill: Undisclosed ratio of food-grade #1 white corn, wheat, and malted barley
• Cooperage: Undisclosed new, charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 47% ABV (94°)
• Price per 750mL: $79.99

 

Appearance: The small batch is an easy contender for the darkest, naturally-colored, 3-year, 94° unfinished whiskey I’ve reviewed. It was somewhere between Burnt Amber and Gingerbread. A wavy rush of thick tears fell from the husky rim.  

 

Nose: While waiting for the Bourbon to acclimate, my whiskey library was filled with bold smells of stone fruits. As I brought the glass beneath my nose, I detected freshly sawn wood (typically indicative of smaller cooperage), vanilla, pomegranate, toffee, and pecans. I pulled the aroma through my lips and encountered oak spice.

 

Palate: The first sip revealed a creamy mouthfeel that offered mild warmth. There was a deep cedar undertone (also indicative of smaller cooperage). With my next sip, I tasted toffee, chocolate, and dry leather on the front of my palate. The middle featured a kiss of honey, cocoa, and pecans. Flavors of cedar, clove, and coffee hit the back.

 

Finish: Chocolate, caramel, coffee, clove, and cedar (I swear my alliteration was not purposeful) were easily identified. Less so were pecans and leather, yet the leather was the last to fade out. It had a very shallow incline, lasting 0:59, which was shorter than I would have expected for something cooking in the Texas heat.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: When I mention the use of smaller cooperage, I don’t mean to imply that the Bourbon was aged exclusively in those barrels. Garrison Brothers very likely could have used a mix of barrel sizes in the blend; however, the smaller ones stand out.

 

There’s also nothing wrong with using barrels smaller than 53 gallons, and distillers who do must ensure the whiskey doesn’t become overoaked, which can be especially challenging in Hye, Texas. Thankfully, I didn’t experience that with the Small Batch Bourbon. I also found the Bourbon properly proofed.

 

Dan and his team did a good job of taming the Texas terroir. I found it a bit on the pricey side; however, I also appreciate the hurdles Garrison Brothers had to leap over to make the Bourbon approachable and tasty. Price is the biggest driver of my Bar rating.

 

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Garrison Brothers HoneyDew

 

 

• Whiskey Type: Straight Bourbon Infused with Honey
• Distiller: Garrison Brothers Distillery
• Age: NAS
• Mashbill: Undisclosed ratio of food-grade #1 white corn, wheat, and malted barley infused with 100% Texas wildflower honey
• Cooperage: Undisclosed new, charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 40% ABV (80°)
• Price per 750mL: $79.99

 

Appearance: HoneyDew possessed a dull orange amber color. It formed a thick rim, with big, syrupy droplets clinging to the side of my glass.

 

Nose: When I held the glass beneath my nostrils and inhaled, there was freshly-sawn wood, floral notes, toffee, honeydew melon, and pecans. Drawing that air into my mouth offered more intense floral notes.

 

Palate: HoneyDew’s texture was incredibly soft and creamy, and coated the roof of my mouth, tongue, and throat. Pecans made up most of the palate shock (I had prepped myself for honey). On the front, I tasted grilled pineapples, melons, and pecans. My mid-palate encountered vanilla and milk chocolate, while the back included mild oak, honey, and angel food cake.

 

Finish: Honeysuckle, angel food cake, melon, pecans, and oak carried through for a very level, soft finish that lasted 0:38.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: With the melon notes, it is obvious how HoneyDew got its name. The 80° gave it a luxurious mouthfeel and allowed more of the mashbill’s flavors to shine. Obviously, similar barrels were used. The honey infusion reduced the telltale signs.

 

HoneyDew is a good whiskey, an easy sipper, and would be fascinating in a cocktail. The buck-per-proof-point seems expensive. It is also the reason it earns my Bar rating.

 

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Final Thoughts: It’s been several years since I’ve tried anything from Garrison Brothers, and today’s adventure was better than I recall. Both are good whiskeys that deserve your attention and are positive examples of what can be done with smaller cooperage.

 

Garrison Brothers has a cult following. It doesn’t take a genius to understand why. Today was a fun adventure. If you’ve not tried these lower-proof options, you should. Cheers!

 

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit, but begs you to do so responsibly.