Bourbon

Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2023

$249.99

OVERALL
RATING

10

Whiskey Review: Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2023

We review Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2023, a monster of a Texas bourbon that hits home Texan style with its 140.9 proof bottom line.
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Tasting Notes:

About:
140.9 proof or 70.45% ABV; aged at least 6 years; 750mL; suggested retail price of $249.99.
Appearance:
Few uneven slow legs, mahogany, very reminiscent of root beer.
Nose:
Maple, ketchup, fresh wood shavings, milk chocolate.
Palate:
Thick, chewy texture. Very warm on front palate, leads into very full flavor. Buttered toast fills out the mid palate, with some drying down at the finish.
Finish:
Comments:
This whiskey gets a five from me for its unique nature and its exceptional presentation of that. To present this high-proof of a spirit with full and cohesive flavor is quite the feat. Even at the high proofing, I would drink this neat and without any dilution.rnrnIs it for everyone? Absolutely not. Is it a very special expression for some? Absolutely.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link in this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs. 

As one of those formerly “gifted” children, I have an heavy aversion to any task or project that I’m not successful at right from the get go. To completely fail, or to have to start over entirely from scratch after the first attempt, would absolutely defeat me.

So it’s good that I’m not a whiskey distiller. Especially in Texas. 

Because fighting the elements in Texas in order to produce flavorful, quality whiskeys seems a daunting task, one I’m glad Garrison Brothers Distillery is taking on. The distillery was the first to make legal bourbon in the state of Texas, and has a significant whiskey line-up. 

All of which comes with the challenges of making whiskey in Texas. 

Texas, of course, is a challenging terroir. Temperatures often and unrelentingly exceed 100 degrees, making barrel-aging a challenge. The angel’s share in any system of barrel-aging plays a role, more so when it’s warm, and can be absolutely detrimental in sustained high heat. 

Detrimental can become like dynamite in such hot temperatures, where the internal temperature of the barrels can create a pressure that causes the barrels to explode. Which is exactly what happened to the first batch of Cowboy Bourbon that Garrison Brothers attempted, and between combustion and evaporation they lost every drop.

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The distillery persevered; and what we have here is the ninth release of Cowboy Bourbon. Even to this day, not every whiskey barrel makes it to bottling; of those that do, the best are specially selected and set aside for Cowboy Bourbon. Each barrel that does inevitably make the cut ages at least six years before its uncut, unfiltered bottling. 

Garrison Brothers Distillery has been rewarded for their attention to craft in the last decade. Of this already limited release (less than 10,000 bottles), the first thousand bottles went to fans who go directly to the distillery to buy them, and the rest will sell out quickly. 

Oh, and did I mention the ABV? A potentially mind-numbing 140.9 proof, though I found the heat in no way hampered the final bourbon I tasted.

Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2023 review
We review Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2023, a monster of a Texas bourbon that hits home Texan style with its 140.9 proof bottom line. (image via Garrison Brothers)

Tasting Notes: Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2023

Vital Stats: 140.9 proof or 70.45% ABV; aged at least 6 years; 750mL; suggested retail price of $249.99.

Appearance: Few uneven slow legs, mahogany, very reminiscent of root beer.

Nose: Maple, ketchup, fresh wood shavings, milk chocolate.

Palate: Thick, chewy texture. Very warm on front palate, leads into very full flavor. Buttered toast fills out the mid palate, with some drying down at the finish. 

Talia Gragg

Talia is part of the Portland service industry community, and an alumna of the Multnomah Whiskey Library. She’s an avid spirit and cocktail enthusiast, and likes to experience them both academically and recreationally. When not sipping whiskey she’s a ceramic artist and lover of travel.

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