Garrison Brothers was Texas's first legal bourbon whiskey distillery, founded by Dan Garrison in 2006 in the Hill Country west of Austin. The distillery grows its own white corn and uses a sweet mash process — unusual in an industry dominated by sour mash — to produce a bourbon that is distinctly Texan in both origin and character. The extreme heat of the Texas Hill Country, where summer temperatures routinely exceed 38°C, creates a maturation environment that compresses years of flavour into shorter timeframes.
The Small Batch is the core expression, and it wears its Texas identity proudly. The aggressive maturation is immediately evident — the bourbon is deeply coloured and intensely oaky, with a richness and wood influence that Kentucky bourbons twice its age might envy. The heat extracts flavour and colour from the barrel with a speed that cooler climates cannot match, though it also creates a tannic assertiveness that some drinkers may find overwhelming.
Garrison Brothers is the standard-bearer for Texas bourbon, and the Small Batch demonstrates both the advantages and the challenges of hot-climate maturation. The flavour intensity is remarkable, but the oak can occasionally overshadow the grain. At its premium price, it competes with some excellent Kentucky bourbons, which makes the value calculation tighter. But as a statement of what Texas can produce — and as a genuinely distinctive American whiskey — Garrison Brothers has earned its place.
