Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon, 2025

I’d like to thank the Texas Whiskey Festival, Garrison Brothers, and their PR partners for providing this sample with no strings attached.

When you think of great bourbon, who do you think of first? The obvious answer is Kentucky, right? So much so that there are still folks out there who think that it’s the only place that bourbon can be made. But there are folks all over the country these days who are lining up to prove that other states have what it takes as well.

For example, I recently received a couple of samples through the Texas Whiskey Festival. They were promoting the winners of their “Best Texas Whiskey of 2026” competition. I ended up with samples of two of their category winners. We’ll talk about the bourbon today and then hit the rye in a bonus post on Friday, so keep an eye out for that. But before we get into the winner, let’s let the Festival speak for themselves about their contest:

The 2026 Texas Whiskey Festival brought together distilleries from across the state for a night built on discovery, conversation, and shared pours. Through a blind tasting process—removing labels, reputations, and expectations—we set out to identify the bottles that truly stand out in the glass. The goal isn’t just to name the “best,” but to create a clear guide to the must-try Texas whiskeys right now—the ones worth seeking out, sharing with friends, and revisiting long after the festival ends.

So let’s get started with the winner of the category, Bourbon — Must-Try Bottles. The 2025 edition of Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon is a monster at 146.4 proof. It has been aged for six years in the Texas heat and is for sale at the Garrison Brothers website for $249.99. If that name sounds familiar, we last discussed the 2023 edition shortly after it came out, and I enjoyed it, even if it was way too hot to drink neat. This one, being even higher proof, made me excited to take a look at the 2025 edition as well. Let’s see how this one tastes.

Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon, 2025

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided at no charge by the PR team for review purposes. As of the time of writing, it is available at the Garrison Brothers website for $249.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $16.67

Details: 73.2% ABV. Six years old.

Nose: Caramel, wintergreen, maple, and oak.

Mouth: Holy fuckballs, this is hot! If you get past the proof while still being able to taste anything, you will find notes of dried grain, leather, wintergreen, caramel, maple, and cinnamon.

Finish: Warm and long with notes of dried grain, maple, caramel, and cinnamon.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn neutral face denoting that it isn’t for me, but that others will possiblylove it.

Thoughts: I don't usually comment on the color of a bourbon I write about, but this one is gorgeous. Deep, rich mahogany color. The nose initially had a lot of ethanol notes, but they evaporated off after a few minutes. After that, you started to get sweet notes like maple and caramel, with some oak along for the ride.

The mouth? Dude. A small sip started to numb the tongue. Under the heat it is quite sweet. I wasn't expecting the dried grain notes on something this old. If you like a grain-forward bourbon, this is the one for you. Personally, I don't mind them, but don't seek them out either.

The big story on this one, though, is not the flavor but the proof. And it is as hot as you’d expect at over 140 proof. So I added a bit of water to try to tame it. Oddly, the water seemed to accentuate both the heat and the graininess. This bourbon isn't for me—I'm not a fan of overproof or grain-forward bourbons. You get over 110 proof and I start needing to dilute it too much before I can enjoy it. And if the water doesn’t help, as in this case, I tend to move on. But that is a me problem not a problem with the bourbon.

So, at the end of the day, this doesn't align with my palate but it isn't objectively bad either (as evidenced by the awards it wins), so I'm giving it a neutral rating. It is certainly worth trying a pour if you get the opportunity though at $250, a full bottle is certainly outside my price range these days.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Wenzel Distillery Sherry Barrel Finished Bourbon, Batch 2

I’d like to thank Wenzel Distillery and their PR team for providing this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Small bottle of Wenzel Distillery Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in sherry casks sitting on a deck railing with bright green trees blurred in the background.

As I am an old man, I know a lot of old songs. And as much as it pains me to realize this, the 1980s were 40 years ago. Which is an objectively long time. There was an old song by a band called Cinderella, that was popular when I was a young lad titled Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone). And we are living that in the BourbonGuy household this week. We recently got new neighbors on one side of our house. We live in a tightly packed neighborhood, but what made it lovely were all the trees in everyone’s yards. It made it easy to pretend that our houses were further apart than they really were.

Well, this week, the new neighbors to the south took down their three extremely large maples. Which sucked for us since they provided shade and, more importantly, privacy from the neighbors beyond them. It was sad and has us trying to figure out how to replace the effect. But it does provide much more sun for a garden that was shaded most of the morning, which is nice. So it’s a mixed bag for us. But they seem to like it. And the motto around here has always been that there are few objectively bad things, just things that we don’t personally like (this is why there are few “dislike” ratings on the site). How boring would it be if we all liked the same things, including whiskey, the same way? There would be no reason for experimentation or even multiple brands of whiskey. We’d all like the same thing, so that’s what would be produced.

That isn’t to say that all experiments are successful. At least not to every audience. Case in point: tonight’s bourbon. While there are people who love a sherry cask finish, I am not one of them. I don’t mind it now and then. Sometimes it even adds a touch of fruitiness to an otherwise boring bourbon. Other times it seems to overpower the bourbon entirely. Sherry fans may very well love when the latter occurs. Not being a sherry fan, I usually prefer the former.

Tonight’s bourbon is more of the sherry-forward variety. As the producer was purchasing this whiskey from another distillery that was shutting down, the liquid in the barrel spent three years in the ex-Oloroso Sherry finishing barrels instead the months that is a more typical length for a barrel-finish. That liquid became Batch 1 of Wenzel Distillery Sherry Barrel Finished Bourbon. For Batch 2, they ended up blending some of the remaining barrels from Batch 1 with other barrels that were aged longer but finished for a more normal length of time. Batch 2 is made up of 679 bottles. It is bottled at 119.1 proof and is for sale at the distillery in Covington, KY, or on the distillery website for $109.

Wenzel Distillery Sherry Barrel Finished Bourbon, Batch 2

Purchase Info: This sample was sent at no cost by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $109 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $7.27

Details: 59.55% ABV. Batch 2

Nose: Caramel, walnut, baking spice, and leather.

Mouth: Hot and dry in the mouth. Slightly astringent. Notes of toffee, leather, walnut, cinnamon, and oak.

Finish: Hot and long. Notes of toffee, nuts, vanilla sugar cookies, and nutmeg.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn neutral face that denotes that while I personally don’t care for the product, others may well love it.

Thoughts: It turns out that we are not Oloroso sherry fans in the BourbonGuy household. We’ve had some lovely bourbons with a hint of sherry finish, but this has a lot of sherry influence. Not my cup of tea, nor my wife’s. Because I wasn’t a fan of this in a Glencairn glass (I felt that the tasting glass accented the more astringent notes), I tried it how I normally drink my whiskey for pleasure: in a rocks glass with a little piece of ice. The added dilution took away the astringent notes and accented the fruitiness of the sherry finish, but it also brought out a graininess in the whiskey that had previously been obscured by the proof. Which was better, and bumped it from a dislike to a neutral rating.

Bottom line: if you love sherry, you will probably love this. But if not, you may not. However, I love the experimentation and hope more people are willing to do fun things like this. In the old days, over-aged bourbon would have been redistilled to try to “salvage” it into something that would make the producer money. Today we get people trying new things, and that is awesome.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Four Roses Single Barrel Collection, 2026

I’d like to thank Four Roses and their PR team for providing this review sample with no strings attached

IMAGE: Four sample bottles of Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon recipes OBSK, OESQ, OBSV, and OESF lined up on a deck railing outdoors on a sunny morning.

In 1995, Four Roses launched Four Roses Single Barrel, OBSV, to much rejoicing from the masses (actually, as I was a freshman in college at the time, I have no idea if there was much rejoicing or just a collective shrug from the masses, but stick with me here). After 20 years of whining and complaining from people like me, they finally started to let us taste the other nine bourbons that they make, in single barrel form, by releasing the first installment of the Four Roses Single Barrel Collection. Now, these bourbons had been available as Private Barrel Picks for a long time, but those were at a higher proof and a higher price.

But until last year, they had never sold them in a package that was accessible to the average Joe or Jane—one unwilling to spend high prices and go on unicorn hunts to the stores that carried the ones they were looking for. Enter the Four Roses Single Barrel Collection. An annually rotating collection of three red-labeled recipes that are proofed and priced the same as the standard brown-labeled Four Roses Single Barrel. I was extremely excited to see last year’s release and even more excited to see it coming back again this year.

And if this sounds like I am a biased and enthusiastic fanboy for this product, I am. I’ve been a Four Roses fanboy since I was first getting into whiskey oh so many years ago. In fact, I can easily say that in 2025, I spent more money and bought more bottles of the 2025 collection than I did on all other bourbons combined. I must have purchased at least six or seven of each from my local corner liquor store. Maybe more. As long as it was on the shelf, it was my go-to pour. And I liked them all, so I’m referring to them interchangeably in this. And yes, I’m even more excited for this year.

You see, I’ve always been a huge fan of the Q yeast releases. I was chatting with Master Distiller Brent Elliott one time and mentioned that fact. He noted that I am one of the few who tell him that. I also love the F and the other yeasts too, but something about that floral Q just hits right with me. The herbal F is usually a close second, and the fruit and spice of the rest are right up there too. I just love Four Roses all around.

I was happy to see an F release last year, but I’m even more excited that this year’s release features both an F and a Q release. The 2026 releases are as follows: OESQ, which features the Q yeast and a mash bill of 75% corn, 20% rye, and 5% malted barley; OESF, which features the F yeast and the same mash bill; and OBSK, which features the spicy K yeast and the higher-rye mash bill of 60% corn, 35% rye, and 5% malted barley. They also sent a “control” sample of the standard OBSV Single Barrel. It features the fruity V yeast and the same high-rye mash bill as the OBSK. These are all bottled at 100 proof and were aged between seven and nine years. The suggested retail price is $49.99 per 750 mL bottle.

So let’s dig in..

Four Roses Single Barrel Collection, 2026

Purchase Info: These samples were sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price for each bottle is $49.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: Each recipe is aged 7 to 9 years and bottled at 50% ABV.

OBSK:

Nose: Juicy fruit gum, cinnamon candies, stone fruits, and mint.

Mouth: Cinnamon, oak, stone fruits, and mint.

Finish: Medium in warmth and length. Lingering notes of fruit, mint, cinnamon, and toffee.

OESF:

Nose: Fresh garden herbs, strong caramel, vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon.

Mouth: Herbal, with notes of caramel, oak, vanilla, and cinnamon supporting it.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium length. Very herbal, with notes of cinnamon, black pepper, and oak.

OESQ:

Nose: Floral vanilla, brown sugar, and a hint of baking spices. Basically, this smells like a delicious fresh-baked sugar cookie.

Mouth: Cinnamon spice, floral vanilla, mint, and oak.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of sugar cookie (floral vanilla, a hint of cinnamon, and brown sugar) and wintergreen.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn smiley face that denotes I like the product.

Thoughts: I'm going to guess that the folks at Four Roses were searching for the barrels that fulfilled the stereotype for each of these recipes, because what is the point of showing the differences off, if the barrel is just going to take over and obscure them? In this case, OESQ sample was very floral and the Q yeast is the floral one. Same with the herbal F and the sample of OESF: very herbal. Same with K and the spiciness. I love that. It's extremely fun to taste these side-by-side, and I hope each of you has that opportunity. If not, if I had to rank them, I'd say:

  1. OESQ

  2. OESF

  3. OBSK

  4. OBSV (the standard single barrel release)

My wife on the other hand had her ranking as:

  1. OBSK

  2. OESQ

  3. OBSV (the standard single barrel release)

  4. OESF

I'm usually a big fan of F and Q, whereas she is more of a K, O, and V girl, just so you know our biases. But all are very good, and I'm guessing that for a second year in a row I'll be spending more on these releases than all other bourbon combined. They are both delicious and relatively affordable when compared to the rest of today’s bourbon market. I really like these and cannot wait for them to hit shelves.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Redemption Bourbon (2026 Revamp)

I’d like to thank the folks at Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits and their PR partners for providing this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Redemption Bourbon bottle with red label and wood-topped cork sitting on a deck railing outdoors, green trees blurred in the background, BourbonGuy watermark in lower left.

Do you remember a couple of weeks ago when we were doing the BourbonGuy Brackets? I had one matchup where I said both of the competitors were “products in transition.” Well, shortly after I published the results of the bracket competition, I got an email from the producers of one of those products, completely coincidentally. They were announcing the new bottle and proof of Redemption Bourbon—an announcement that I had apparently scooped by looking at their website.

I immediately asked for a sample to be sent to me. I was very interested to give the proof bump a thorough look. When it arrived, I noticed that it also had a higher stated age than previously, having gone from a 2-year-old at 88 proof to a 3-year-old at 92 proof. All good things, especially since it is still distilled in Indiana (assuming MGP) and there is some fantastic bourbon coming out of there even at a younger age.

I am not a reporter. I don’t break news, hell I don’t even really report it. But it tickles me that they reached out days after I published my accidental “scoop.” I like fun coincidences—they make life interesting. Anyway, here’s what the brand has to say about their revamp:

At the heart of the relaunch is Redemption’s new bottle design. Dramatic and symbolic, the refreshed packaging features an eagle in mid-flight, formed from rye with its wings spread wide. More than a design evolution, the eagle represents courage and ambition—leaving the safety of the ground for the unknown horizon. It embodies Redemption’s refreshed brand philosophy: Choose Redemption. Rise Above. A symbol of resilience and forward momentum, the new bottle captures the spirit of Redemption’s next act: fearless, confident, and rooted in the attitude and soul that defines its rye-built whiskeys.

Prompted by a trademark dispute initiated by a competitor a few years ago, Redemption took the opportunity to reimagine its brand identity, beginning with its packaging. Rather than looking backward, the brand chose to move forward, transforming a challenge into a catalyst for reinvention. The new bottle stands as a visible symbol of that transformation.

While the new packaging makes an immediate visual statement, the evolution extends beyond aesthetics. Redemption’s refreshed portfolio includes its signature Rye, High Rye Bourbon, and Straight Bourbon expressions, with the bourbon now bottled at 92 proof to deliver a bolder, more balanced profile.

Ok so now that we know why and how the bourbon has changed, let’s see how it tastes.

Redemption Bourbon

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $29.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.00

Details: Distilled in Indiana. 46% ABV. 3 years old. Mash bill: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley. Batch #1.

Nose: Nutmeg, vanilla, mint, a touch of red fruit, and a little oak.

Mouth: Almond, vanilla, mint, and just a touch of oak and baking spice.

Finish: Medium in both warmth and length. Lingering notes of cinnamon, mint, and fruit.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn Smiley face that denotes I like the product.

Thoughts: This, while young, is a perfectly fine bourbon. It’s got a nice spice, along with some mint and fruit notes that I’m enjoying. I’d drink this one neat or in a cocktail, personally. It doesn’t really handle dilution well in my experience, but if you’re making a cocktail that’s built in the glass with minimal dilution—like an Old Fashioned—it performs well. For what it is, I like it.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Revisited: Woodinville Straight Bourbon

I’d like to thank Woodinville Whiskey for sending this review sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey bottle (aged 6 years) on a sunlit wooden deck with backyard in the background; large “REVISITED” text overlays the bottom with a BourbonGuy watermark in the corner

It has been thirteen hundred, thirty-nine days since I last look a look at Woodinville Whiskey. It was the first time that I’d had one of their whiskeys, and it certainly wasn’t the last. Since that time, we’ve looked at a number of their products and liked most of them quite a bit. However, I hadn’t picked up the original bourbon again for a while. So I was very excited when they sent me this bottle in order to promote their recent bottle redesign and new 6-year age statement. God, I love age statements showing up. And it really is a lovely bottle. And since that new bottle was the entire reason I got to take another look at it, I should probably let them tell you a little about it.

Woodinville's updated bottle pays homage to the traditional shape that has become synonymous with Woodinville but has been refined to reflect the ultra-premium liquid they produce. The bottle features two different textures of glass, the clear and refined upper part representing the purity and terroir of Woodinville where the whiskey is distilled, and the rugged lower half representing the dramatic climates of Quincy where the whiskey is matured. All four flagship whiskeys feature the fresh look and will also feature an updated 6 year age statement on the bottle. The whiskeys are: Woodinville Straight Bourbon Aged 6 Years (90 proof $39.99 MSRP), Woodinville Straight 100% Rye Aged 6 Years (90 proof $39.99 MSRP) Woodinville Port Finish Bourbon (90 proof $44.99 MSRP), and Woodinville Applewood Finish Bourbon (90 proof $44.99 MSRP).

So now that I’ve let them have their say, let’s see what I had to say about this bourbon the last time. I gave it a “Like” rating and said: “This is pretty darn tasty. If you like hot honey, this should be one to pick up. I look forward to trying a few more from their product line.” Now let’s see how a current bottle tastes, shall we?

Woodinville Straight Bourbon, Aged 6 Years

Purchase Info: This bottle was sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $39.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.67

Details: 6 years old. 45% ABV.

Nose: Hay, cherry, vanilla, oak.

Mouth: Cinnamon, honey, vanilla, oak, and almond.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Notes of cinnamon, honey, and almond.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn smiley face that denotes I like this product.

Thoughts: This is still really tasty. It has a lovely, viscous mouthfeel, which just adds to the honey notes. The almond/cherry notes are nice throughout. There is good warmth. And as mentioned above, it now comes in a bottle that is pretty enough that I might throw some solar lights in it and put it out on the deck for decoration. This remains a Like. It’s quite tasty.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.