Garrison Brothers Pumps Out Fall 2014 Vintage Of Its Cult Texas Bourbon

Though much is said of cult favorite Balcones Distilling being among the elite of craft whiskey outfits in the US, recent ownership troubles there have resulted in the departure of its founder Charles “Chip” Tate. How this impacts the Texas-based distillery remains to be seen, but even as this drama continues to play out another Lone Star whiskey making venture, Garrison Brothers, has just released the fall 2014 “vintage” of its extremely popular and hard to come by Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

As the name implies, the Garrison Brothers Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey is indeed whiskey made in Texas. The distillery works with organic farms in-state to provide them fresh corn for the bourbon. It then ages this bourbon in white American oak barrels, and it is from this aging stock that Garrison draws upon for twice yearly vintage releases, one in the spring and one in the fall.

What’s gone recently to bottle for the fall 2014 offering is said by Garrison Brothers to be the oldest of its flagship bourbon releases to date. A recent blog post from the distillery details more on this new bottling, including a bit about a neat piece of personalization on the back of each bottle from those who helped bottle it. More specifically, according to those behind this bourbon,

if you buy a bottle of our Fall 2014 Vintage bourbon – and you should — please look for a love note on the back. We asked our volunteers to write tasteful notes on the backs of their bottles. One gorgeous brunette, who shall remain anonymous, wrote “For a good time, call me when you buy this bottle,” and she put her cell phone number on it. Sure enough, the bottle was purchased at a liquor store in Dallas. The buyer called our bottler and they drank the bourbon together, striking up an enduring friendship.

That’s pretty damn cool if you ask me. Should you wish to track down a bottle, expect to pay between $85-$95. It was bottled at 94 proof, and as for tasting notes, here are some below courtesy of Garrison Brothers.

Fruit forward with orange blossom, wildflower honey and lemon meringue. Honey, pears, peaches, and cinnamon-caramel candied pecans. Rich, smooth and creamy caramel finish. Perhaps the fruitiest, sweetest Garrison Brothers yet. Well balanced, smooth and playful. A true joy to drink with an addictive finish.