Garrison Brothers’ New Bourbon Is 146.4 proof. Can You Handle the Heat?
Garrison Brothers Distillery has been making bourbon—and only bourbon—since its founding in 2006 when it became the first legal whiskey distillery in Texas since Prohibition. Using exclusively Texas-grown grains and the sweet mash process, Garrison Brothers has built a diverse portfolio of bourbons, but its high-proof, cask-strength expressions are its most coveted. And the brand’s most recent release is its strongest whiskey to date. Clocking in at an eye-watering 73.2 percent ABV (146.4 proof), the 11th edition of Garrison Brothers’ coveted Cowboy Bourbon is an unfiltered, cask-strength whiskey.
Courtesy Garrison Brothers
The Making of a 'Hazmat Whiskey'
Given its potency, the expression is a so-called “hazmat whiskey.” The term, though not an official one, has become a popular way to denote whiskeys that carry an ABV of 70 percent or higher, since the Federal Aviation Administration prohibits liquids of such potency on commercial airplanes (much like hazardous materials, or “hazmats”).
The reasoning for the sky-high proof point is partly a stylistic choice, but also a product of circumstance. Since Garrison Brothers is located in Hye, TX, its whiskey barrels are exposed to blazing-hot temperatures for most of the year. This leads to higher levels of water evaporation in the barrels, and thus higher alcohol strength. Additionally, the heat also causes a more intense flavor, rapidly extracting tannins and flavors from deep within the oak barrel staves. Embracing this phenomenon, Garrison Brothers ages much of its bourbon in small, custom-made barrels to maximize wood-to-whiskey contact and ultimately make a bold product.
To craft the 2025 Cowboy Bourbon, master distiller Donnis Todd hand-selected various barrels aged for a minimum of six years in the distillery’s warehouses. The bourbon was made using the brand’s signature wheated bourbon mash bill of 74 percent corn, 15 percent wheat, and 11 percent malted barley.
According to the brand, the 2025 Cowboy Bourbon kicks off with robust aromas of charred wood, gun smoke, and toasted marshmallows. The palate follows with a surprisingly stone fruit-forward profile, balanced by notes of black pepper and baking spices.
“It’s strong and mean at first, but the all-encompassing flavor makes your mouth water, and you’ll begin to drool if you’re not careful,” Todd said in a statement. “The flood of warmth never ends. Layered dried fruits and toasted marshmallows — it’s a Texas chaser you can’t stop sipping.“
Garrison Brothers’ 2025 Cowboy Bourbon Price & Availability
Courtesy Garrison Brothers
Garrison Brothers sold the first 1,000 bottles of 2025 Cowboy Bourbon at its Texas distillery in December, but the remaining 9,000 are now available at stores nationwide for a suggested retail price of $250.