Garrison Brothers Ranch Reserve Oloroso Sherry Cask Finished Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey 750ml

DanGarrison was the first person in thehistory of Texas to legallydistill bourbon whiskey. When hefounded GarrisonBrothers Distillery in Hye in2006 — the first legal bourbondistillery in Texas, the firstoutside Kentucky to produce whatthe distillery calls authentic,corn-to-cork bourbon — he didso against the conventionalwisdom that said the Texasclimate was no place for seriouswhiskey. He wasproved wrong in the mostsatisfying way possible. Therelentless Hill Country summers,which push spirit deep into thebarrel stave at an accelerated rate that Kentucky's more temperate seasons cannot match, turned out to be not a liability but an advantage — producing bourbon of unusual depth and concentration in a fraction of the time cooler climates require.

The Ranch Reserve Series is Garrison Brothers' most ambitious new program: a collection of limited expressions that explore exceptional finishing casks through the lens of Texas bourbon,each beginning as the distillery'sTexas Straight Small Batch BourbonWhiskey aged four years in new Americanoak, then moved into character-richfinishing casks for another four years.The Oloroso Sherry Cask Finished is theinaugural dry expression in the series— the savory, structured counterpart tothe PX's dark sweetness, built fromOloroso sherry casks sourced from asingle producer in Jerez, Spain, agedoxidatively in contact with air todevelop the deeper color, richertexture, and flavor profile of walnuts,tobacco, spice, and old wood that makesOloroso a specifically natural pairingfor a bourbon with Texas-sizedstructure.

"These two releases sharethe same Texas bourbon backbone anddeliver two different sherrytraditions," Master Distiller DonnisTodd said at the launch. "One dark anddecadent and the other, savory andstructured. These are beautiful incolor and remarkable in taste." TheOloroso is the savory and structuredone — walnut and baking spice forward,drier and more contemplative than thePX, letting the bourbon's Texascharacter speak clearly through thesherry influence rather than beingsubsumed by sweetness. Only 6,000bottles. New bottle design with aleather band and walnut-colored waxdipping. Debuted June 27, 2026. Texasbourbon has arrived at Jerez.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Garrison Brothers Distillery was founded in2006 by Dan and Nancy Garrison in Hye,Texas — the first and oldest legalwhiskey distillery in Texas, and thefirst distillery outside of Kentucky toproduce authentic, handcrafted,corn-to-cork bourbon whiskey. Everydrop is made from Texas-grown grain,distilled and aged under the blazingHill Country sun, proofed by purerainwater, and bottled by hand at theranch. Master Distiller Donnis Todd,who learned whiskey-making from hisgrandfather as a child and studiedfermentation and distillation techniques during a decade of US AirForce service in Japan and South Korea,oversees production with the samefounding commitment: no shortcuts,nothing sourced, everything made onsite in Hye.

The Ranch Reserve Series,announced May 27, 2026, is GarrisonBrothers' first dedicated foray intopremium sherry cask finishing. EachRanch Reserve expression begins asGarrison Brothers Texas Straight SmallBatch Bourbon Whiskey — thedistillery's core bottling — aged fouryears in new, toasted, and charredwhite American oak barrels. Selectbarrels that truly come together thenmove into 59-gallon sherry casks for afurther four years of secondary maturation. Total age: eight yearsacross two distinctly different caskenvironments. The Oloroso expressionspecifically uses casks sourced from asingle producer in Jerez — a deliberatesingle-source decision that ensuresconsistency of sherry character andcask quality across the 6,000 bottlesproduced.

Oloroso sherry agesoxidatively — in deliberate contactwith air rather than the biologicalaging of Fino and Manzanilla —developing deeper color, richertexture, and a flavor profilespecifically associated with walnuts,tobacco, dried fig, spice, and oldwood. Garrison Brothers notes that"those qualities make Oloroso a naturalfit for a bourbon with Texas-sizedstructure" — and eight years in theHill Country, half of them in 59-gallonOloroso casks from a single Jerezsource, produces exactly the bold,balanced, savory result the distilleryintended. New Ranch Reserve bottledesign features a leather band aroundthe neck and walnut-colored waxdipping. Bottled at 55% ABV / 110proof.

Critics Reviews

Nopublished numerical critic scores areavailable — inaugural release, debutedJune 27, 2026.

Garrison Brothers official tasting notes (Oloroso Sherry Cask Finished):
"Nose: Warm aromas of walnut, fig, andbaking spices with deep sherrycharacter and subtle savoryrichness. Palate: Bold oak and darkfruit balanced with vanillaand smooth Texas warmth, withwalnut and baking spices layeredthroughout. Finish: Long and warmingwith lingering walnut, spice, and arefined dry sherry finish."

Garrison Brothers / Donnis Todd, Master Distiller:
"These two releasesshare the same Texas bourbon backboneand deliver two different sherrytraditions. One dark and decadent andthe other, savory and structured. Theseare beautiful in color and remarkablein taste."

Robb Report (confirmed):
"The Oloroso Sherry Cask Finished,also aged for four years in new charredoak and then another four in 59-gallonOloroso sherry casks from Spain, isbottled at 110 proof. Official tastingnotes describe walnut and baking spiceson the palate."

Wooden Cork (confirmed characterization):
"The Oloroso edition runs drierand more savory, with walnut, leather,and a nuttier, more structured finish."

The Whiskey Wash (confirmed):
"TheOloroso Sherry Cask Finished bourbonrests in Oloroso casks sourced from asingle producer in Jerez, Spain.Bottled at 110 proof, the brand'sofficial notes highlight walnut andbaking spices, describing it as asavory, structured bourbon."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Warmaromas of walnut lead the nose — theOloroso's most immediately and the mostspecifically nutty aromaticcontribution, the oxidative agingprocess having developed the sherry'scharacteristic walnut and toasted nutcharacter over four years in the cask.Fig adds warm, concentrated dried fruitrichness. Baking spices carrycinnamon and nutmeg warmth. Deepsherry character underlieseverything with subtle savory richness— the Oloroso's mostspecifically structural and the mostspecifically dry secondary aromaticquality, drier and morecontemplative than the PX'simmediate fruit-bomb sweetness. TheTexas bourbon base speaks clearlybeneath the sherry influence:caramel, vanilla, and American oakcarrying thefoundation.

Palate
Bold andbalanced — the Oloroso's drier, morestructured character meeting the Texasbourbon's full-bodied richness in whatthe distillery specifically and mostaccurately describes as "bold,balanced, and built for slow sipping."Bold oak and dark fruit carry theprimary palate character alongsidevanilla and smooth Texas warmth. Walnutand baking spices layer throughout, theOloroso's most specifically definingmid-palate qualities. Leather adds asavory, aged complexity. The bourbonspeaks "in its own Texas voice" — theGarrison Brothers base's cornsweetness, toasted oak, and HillCountry character fully present andaudible through the four years ofsherry influence.

Finish
Long andwarming — walnut, spice, and a refineddry sherry finish carrying the closemost persistently. The Oloroso'sdryness provides the most specificallysavory and the most contemplativefinishing character available in anyTexas bourbon — a close that stays onthe right side of the dry/sweetbalance, letting the bourbon's Texaswarmth and the sherry's structurednuttiness resolve together cleanly.

Quick Overview