Garrison Brothers 2025 Cowboy Bourbon Whiskey

A powerhouse Texas straight bourbon that embodies bold intensity and rugged character. The 2025 Cowboy Bourbon is a high-proof, cask-strength expression that delivers deep fruit, spice, and oak in a rich, full-bodied profile. It’s unapologetically robust yet surprisingly nuanced, marrying Texas heat-driven maturation with artisan craftsmanship — a bottle that commands attention from serious bourbon aficionados.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Handcrafted at Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye, Texas, Cowboy Bourbon is among the most coveted limited releases in American whiskey. For the 2025 edition, Master Distiller Donnis Todd hand-selects the distillery’s prized barrels from their Texas warehouses — barrels that have been set aside for further aging under the region’s intense seasonal heat, accelerating maturation and concentrating flavor.

This annual, limited edition release is bottled uncut and unfiltered at cask strength (146.4 proof / 73.2% ABV), preserving the full intensity of the spirit. The approach reflects the distillery’s ethos of bold expression and traditional craftsmanship: each bottle brings the raw, authentic, Texas-sun-forged soul of bourbon to life without compromise. The 2025 release marks the 11th annual edition of this highly-anticipated whiskey, with a limited run typically around 10,000 bottles available at select accounts and direct from the distillery. 

Critics Reviews & Scores

Professional tasters and whiskey commentators have long regarded Cowboy Bourbon as one of the most distinctive cask-strength bourbons in the American whiskey landscape:

• High marks (typically 93–96 points) appear across independent reviews, with critics celebrating this Texas expression for its bold intensity, juicy concentrated fruit, and rich oak-spice complexity.

• Reviewers frequently note the bourbon’s exceptional layering — ripe dark fruit and toasted oak alongside molasses, black pepper, and leather — giving a sense of both power and balance rarely found at such high proof.

• Enthusiast and industry reviews often emphasize its aging potential at cask strength and its capacity to reward slow, thoughtful sipping with water adjustment, which unlocks secondary aromatics and deepens complexity.

Although formal annual scores vary by critic and specific iteration, the consensus places the Cowboy Bourbon series consistently among top-tier benchmark bourbons in its class.

Tasting Profile

Nose:
Intense and inviting — deep black cherry, plum, and raisin aromas weave with toasted oak, vanilla bean, and brown sugar. Hints of tobacco leaf, leather, and black pepper add savory richness.

Palate:
Full-bodied and concentrated, with dark fruit reduction, molasses, and toffee layered alongside cinnamon spice, charred oak, and espresso bean. The high proof delivers warming spice while maintaining balance.

Finish:
Long, rich, and warming — lingering oak spice, black peppercorn, and a subtle trace of smoked caramel carry through, with a refined dryness that invites another sip.

Quick Overview