Garrison Brothers Launches Cask Strength Version of Guadalupe Bourbon
“Everything is bigger in Texas” is an easy cliche to use when writing about something that has to do with the Lone Star State, but it actually kind of applies when talking about its whiskey—specifically, the bourbon produced at Garrison Brothers. That’s because this whiskey is super oaky and bold, the cask finishes are assertive, and the proof often skyrockets to near hazmat levels. Some of those details apply to the new release of Guadalupe, a port barrel-finished bourbon that is getting a cask-strength version for the very first time.
Garrison Brothers became the first legal bourbon distillery to operate in the state when it opened back in 2010. The bourbon it makes, as mentioned before, is full of tannic oak notes due to the fact that it’s partially matured in smaller barrels in a climate full of extremes. The distillery is located in Hye, not far from Austin, so the barrels are exposed to temperature extremes during very hot summers and cool winters that increase the interaction between whiskey and wood as they age. Guadalupe was first released in 2015 when the distillery put its four-year-old bourbon into port casks from a local winery. In 2021, master distiller Donnis Todd decided to expand the project, and it’s now an annual release. “Water makes the whiskey,” he said in a statement. “Guadalupe 2025 is bold and beautiful—shaped by Hye’s wild Texas temperature swings, then proofed with rainwater we harvest on our 68-acre ranch. That devotion to clean environment is a big part of what makes Garrison Brothers legendary.”
Related: The 50 Greatest Bourbons of the Century So Far
“Legendary” is a pretty subjective term, but the distillery’s fans do seem to enjoy this release. It’s made from a wheated mashbill of Texas grains and bottled at 107 proof after being aged for four years in new charred oak and another two years in port casks (now imported instead of sourced locally). The official tasting notes describe berry fruit, ripe plums, strawberry butter on flaky morning biscuits, toasted coffee bean, chocolate, and cinnamon on the palate. And for the very first time, the distillery is releasing Guadalupe Cask Strength Single Barrel—as indicated by the name, a single barrel expression that will clock in between 123.9 and 129.8 proof, depending on the barrel (that’s actually pretty reasonable considering that expressions like Cowboy Bourbon have soared above hazmat level of 140 proof in recent years).
Just 8,600 bottles of the new Guadalupe Bourbon are being released, with the first 1,000 going on sale at the distillery on July 12 (SRP $150). Another 1,000 bottles of Guadalupe Cask Strength Single Barrel will also go on sale that day (SRP $220), with $50 from every purchase going to benefit the environmental group Gulf Trust. You can find other Garrison Brothers whiskeys, including previous versions of Guadalupe, at websites like ReserveBar now.
