Hye, Texas (July 27, 2021)- Garrison Brothers Distillery, the first legal bourbon distillery in Texas, has released a new expression to add to its portfolio. Named Guadalupe, to pay homage to one of the state’s most beautiful rivers, the Texas Straight Bourbon is bottled at 107 proof. Guadalupe is a port cask-finished bourbon that will be available year round.
Guadalupe’s release has been over six years in the making. In 2015, Garrison Brothers began an exciting collaborative project with their local winemaker friends at Llano Estacado in the Texas Panhandle. Llano Estacado is one of Texas’ oldest and most beloved winemakers. Garrison Brothers gave the winery 20 wet bourbon barrels and the winery gave the distillery 20 of their decades-old port casks. Garrison Brothers’ Master Distiller Donnis Todd aged a 4-year old bourbon in the port casks. The result: Estacado, a limited 2019 release of port cask-finished Texas straight bourbon whiskey.
At this same time, Todd then began sourcing for a more expansive port cask bourbon project. He started to connect and work directly with winemakers in Portugal to secure rich and juicy port casks directly from the source.
There are more than 80 grape varieties grown in Portugal’s Douro Valley. Many are exclusive to Portugal, which makes Port wine from Portugal unique. It’s so unique, in fact, that only Portugal-made Port can carry the identifying term “Porto” on the label. Port is a sweet wine with flavors of raspberry, blackberry, caramel, cinnamon, and chocolate sauce. Older, fine Tawny Ports have an even wider array of subtle flavors including graphite, green peppercorn, hazelnut, almond, butterscotch, and graham cracker. These flavor characteristics have great appeal to a bourbon maker.
“Over the past decade, we’ve built lasting friendships with great people across the world as we searched for the perfect port barrel. These connections are just as special to me as the bourbon we have produced,” says Donnis Todd, Garrison Brothers Master Distiller.
Todd discovered that the magic maturation combination was four years in white American oak casks and then two additional years in the tawny port casks. He selected 90 thirty-gallon bourbon barrels that had been originally filled in 2015. Guadalupe’s tasting notes for the sensuous, creamy liquid include a full berry fruit, ripe plums, strawberry butter on flaky morning biscuits, Betty Crocker moist chocolate cake, cinnamon, lavender honey, and toasted coffee beans.
Garrison Brothers Guadalupe can be enjoyed anytime over ice, neat, in cocktails, and especially as an after dinner desert experience.
On July 24th, Garrison Brothers hosted a distillery drive-thru Guadalupe release event for enthusiasts to buy the first bottles of Guadalupe available. Garrison Brother’s Guadalupe will be available nationwide beginning August 2021 at retail as well as at finer restaurants and bars.
“I thought Estacado was good. But Guadalupe guarantees free flow salivation from start to finish,” adds Dan Garrison, Garrison Brothers founder.
ABOUT GARRISON BROTHERS DISTILLERY
Garrison Brothers Distillery is a small farm and ranch located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country that authentically produces straight bourbon whiskey. Garrison Brothers introduced the first bourbon whiskey legally made in Texas in 2010 and has since developed a rabid fan base. They currently have a waitlist of more than 15,000 just to volunteer on bottling days, and their Cowboy Bourbon™ normally sells out within hours of its release. Garrison Brothers is the first legal bourbon distillery in Texas history and is one of the first distilleries in America outside of Kentucky to produce authentic, handmade bourbon whiskey—and only bourbon whiskey. The business was founded in 2006.
Every expression of Garrison Brothers bourbon is made from a sweet mash bill and barrel-aged in the intense Texas climate. The extreme heat creates multiple aging seasons in a year, resulting in a darker, richer, and fuller bourbon; bolder than almost any other bourbon on the market.
At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2021, Garrison Brothers’ Laguna Madre was awarded the Double Gold Medal along with one Silver Medal for Single Barrel and three Bronze Medals. For the Denver International Spirits Competition, Garrison Brothers won Best of Show for 2021, taking 1st place for their Cowboy Bourbon.
Garrison Brothers was voted Best Craft Whiskey Distillery in America by readers of USA Today in 2017.
Garrison Brothers is a proud and active member of the communities of Blanco, Fredericksburg, Hye, Johnson City, and Stonewall. The distillery and its barrel barns are open to the public for tours in Hye, Texas. Anyone interested in learning more about Garrison Brothers Bourbon or in taking a tour of the distillery should visit garrisonbros.com or follow @garrisonbros on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
MEDIA CONTACT : Diana Bianchini | 310-288-0077 | diana@dimodapr.com | garrisonbros@dimodapr.com
