Garrison Brothers’ New Bourbon Was Finished in Rye Whiskey Casks
When Garrison Brothers was founded nearly 20 years ago, it became the first legal whiskey distillery to operate in the state of Texas since Prohibition. It released its first whiskey in 2010, and 15 years later the ninth expression in the portfolio has arrived, and it marks a first for the distillery—a bourbon finished in rye whiskey barrels.
Master distiller Donnis Todd led the creation of this new whiskey, but he was assisted by distillery team member Samantha Olvera, who has worked there for seven years and according to the brand is the “first female Latina in Texas to craft bourbon from grain to glass.” The new release, which comes out on October 18, is called Sonora in tribute to the Caverns of Sonora that are located in the town of the same name. “Garrison Brothers Sonora Bourbon is a testament to the power of female leadership, collaboration, and true craftsmanship,” said cofounder Nancy Garrison in a statement. “Since starting in 2006, we have had the privilege of working with many female leaders as part of our family business, including Samantha Olvera on our distilling team. It’s nice to share their stories through bourbon.”
Sonora started out as Garrison Brothers wheated bourbon, which is made with wheat instead of rye as the secondary grain in the recipe. That was aged in smaller 15-gallon barrels from Barrel Mill in Minnesota for four years (the distillery often uses smaller barrels to mature its whiskey). The bourbon then spent an additional three years in 30 53-gallon barrels sourced from an unnamed distillery that were previously used to mature rye whiskey for 12 years. No other information about this rye has been revealed, including which state it was made in and what type of rye it was (a “just legal” style, or something spicier like MGP’s 95-percent rye grain version).
Whatever the case, it’s a welcome new addition to the Garrison Brothers lineup. The color is a deep reddish-brown, and at 108 proof some alcohol greets you on the nose as you sip. The flavor is certainly in line with other Garrison Brothers bourbons, which are marked by pretty intense flavors of dusty wood, leather, tobacco, and tannic oak due to the use of smaller barrels and the extreme climate conditions the whiskey matures in compared to states like Kentucky or Tennessee. But there are also some nice dark fruit notes along with vanilla, caramel, maple, and a bit of spice on the back of your tongue—presumably from the use of those rye barrels, given the wheated mashbill the bourbon is made from. It definitely reads as a double-barreled bourbon, but it’s a far cry from the intense cask finishes that mark other releases like Guadalupe or Lady Bird.
Sonora Texas Straight Bourbon Finished in Rye Whiskey Barrels will be available starting October 18 at the distillery in a run of 1,000 bottles (SRP $160). Following that, 5,000 more bottles will be released nationally starting in November, and $5 from every sale will go to benefit the Texas Cave Management Association that is charged with protecting the Caverns of Sonora. You can find the rest of the Garrison Brothers lineup available at websites like ReserveBar now.
