Garrison Brothers‘ Laguna Madre is taken into account (by it and by others) to be its most prized whiskey, the mash of 74% corn, 15% wheat, and 11% barley aged for 4 years in white American oak barrels after which transferred into French Limousin oak casks for an additional 4 years of growing older within the Texas Hill Nation warmth.
Per GB: “Limousin oak is sourced from the central forests in France and is prized for its highly effective vanilla and lignin content material. Bushes from the forest can solely be harvested when they’re 120 years of age or older. Portions of those particular casks are extraordinarily restricted.” Usually, the whiskey sees 2000 to 3000 bottles launched every year.
Laguna Madre is all the time bottled at 101 proof and invariably features a charitable angle to help its outsized price ticket. The charity has modified over time, starting from a Covid-19 charity to (of late) one referred to as FlatsWorthy, which helps Texas fishing sources and ecosystems.
We’re in the end consolidating our Laguna Madre assessment protection into one put up, with all reviewed expressions lined on a single web page. We’ll replace this web page as we pattern further bottlings within the years to come back.
Garrison Brothers Laguna Madre Bourbon (2021) Overview
The nostril is quite creamy and screams blondies (with a beneficiant dose of nuts and burnt caramel bits) and Werther’s arduous candies. Raisins punch threw sometimes. Given the introduction within the nostril, the palate begins out surprisingly dry and chalky; a sawdust word that makes one assume you’ve crashed by the door of an previous deserted shed made from sun-dried driftwood left untouched for years on the far finish of an overgrown prairie. Cocoa powder accentuates this woodsy word as properly. The woodiness and earthiness comes shut, however simply shy, to being smoky or peaty. The acquainted cinnamon and white pepper ultimately come by however are all the time using side-saddle with the woodiness. Ultimately it settles into the extra acquainted vary of leather-based, oak, vanilla, peanuts, and popcorn. On the again finish of the end, a surprisingly delicate prune word coasts alongside, which is a quite elegant touchdown for one thing that begins out with weapons a-blazing.
This launch is an enchanting nose-palate journey that calls for your dedicated consideration. In any other case, at any flip it dangers presenting itself as unbalanced and abrasive. Some parts could be arduous to put due to the outsized wooden profile that may masks the whiskey’s different traits, however the woodiness all the time appears to drag again simply in time to let the softly creamy and candy nut- and vanilla-forward notes come by.
I hesitate to counsel consuming this apart from neat given its attention-grabbing character, however for the exact same purpose, my hunch is that it could add an edginess to acquainted cocktails comparable to Manhattans and previous fashioneds. On the MSRP although (and realistically at a a lot increased value level if you will discover it in any respect), I dare not danger sparing a drop to an untested cocktail experiment. When you’ve got an opportunity to attempt it, I encourage it. Whether or not it’s well worth the market value, not to mention the secondary, to every their very own. 101 proof. -MU
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Garrison Brothers Laguna Madre Bourbon (2022) Overview
Within the glass, the whiskey opens with energetic contemporary apple, white chocolate, and freshly sanded oak on the nostril whereas toasted wheat bread and the slight chalkiness of chocolate sugar wafer cookies discover their means ahead, after permitting this pour to relaxation some time.
Subsequent up, espresso beans and cocoa powder meet the lips earlier than dissipating rapidly and permitting area for baking spice and stewed apple ensconced in milk chocolate to pool in the course of the palate. This whiskey has a pleasurable mouthfeel and a reasonable albeit satisfying end to accompany these hearty flavors. It does change into a contact drying, although that’s a welcome counterweight to the candy taste that lingers which is paying homage to a chocolate mocha latte with white chocolate flakes.
General this looks like a luxurious expertise, even on the comparatively restrained 101 proof level. Chewing the whiskey a bit coaxes ahead some bitter oak indicating that there’s nonetheless a little bit of these harsher facets prevalent in Texas whiskey buried beneath the floor however when loved in an easy method this can be a pour that’s pleasing and even borders on being wealthy. With a style of flat Dr. Pepper and a contact of cinnamon raisin rounding out the end, there’s no scarcity of attention-grabbing notes to reward repeat pours.
Concluding on a trifle of a matter, I detest the fanciful copy that accompanies this bottle – although the copy is to not be outdone by the lavish bundle this is available in. Encased in a thick plastic cylinder with faux-aquatic accents beneath and a seaside within the background, you’ll discover phrases like “lovingly caressed from customized Limousin oak casks” seem on the aspect of the bottle as we’re instructed this expression “shines like an aquamarine temptress beckoning us to come back out and play.” Whereas my eyes threaten to roll proper out of my head, the aromas and flavors introduced within the glass power me to miss such excessively ornate thrives. When permitting this whiskey to talk for itself, I imagine any fanatic could be inclined to hear. -FD
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Garrison Brothers Laguna Madre Bourbon (2024) Overview
Hardly ever is a Texas bourbon, notably Garrison Brothers, shy about something, and Laguna Madre is not any exception. That massive lumberyard high quality is fast to hit the nostril, however it’s countered by notes of espresso grounds, darkish chocolate, and a soulful prune character that provides simply the correct quantity of sweetness. The whiskey is smoky, with loads of punchy creosote and chimney ash character, fading with time in glass to approximate burnt pie crust and well-toasted baking spices.
The palate strays minimally, with intense notes of espresso and chocolate main the way in which, all filtered by a persistent word of sawn lumber and crushed cocoa pods. A candy butterscotch word provides a extra fanciful ingredient, pairing properly with notes of vanilla custard and, digging deeper, lighter parts of ginger, raspberry jam, and contemporary, black figs. Offering time to relaxation within the glass is a superb thought right here, the end rumbling its means towards a daring outro that Frank completely nailed: Flat Dr. Pepper.
Maybe there’s a purpose why my favourite cocktail when visiting the bar on the Garrison Brothers distillery is the frozen Dr. Pepper, spiked with Garrison Bros. Small Batch. Think about the decadence in the event you made it with Laguna Madre… 101 proof.
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Garrison Brothers Laguna Madre Bourbon (2025) Overview
Juicy prune and low bean notes lead off an undulating, wood-heavy whiskey that simmers with aromas of cloves, darkish chocolate, and loads of freshly milled wooden. As with many a Garrison bottling, the preliminary impression is of a quite savory whiskey, a traipsing by the lumberyard en route to satisfy the chimneysweep. Baking spices emerge with time in glass, heavy on allspice and nutmeg.
The palate of the whiskey is extra shocking than in earlier renditions, the dried fruit notes extra insistent and tempered by a shocking word of toasted coconut. The woody barrel word steps again, only a bit, sufficient to let in some herbaceous mint and sage, slowly opening the door to contemporary cherry, plum, and fig notes (the lattermost an indicator of many Garrison Bros. bottlings). The end cleans issues up with vanilla and a reprise of coconut, pairing with a chew of cocoa to offer the whiskey a German chocolate high quality. Whereas it’s not notably Dr. Peppery this yr (I tasted it aspect by aspect with 2024’s launch), it’s not less than within the wheelhouse. Totally different, however I finally appreciated the 2025 about the identical. 4 in a row! 101 proof.
A- / $350 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Garrison Brothers Laguna Madre Bourbon (2024)
USD349
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