Garrison Brothers Distillery Announces a ‘HazMat’ Release of Cowboy Bourbon® for 2023

Posted on by Scott Dilley
Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2023

The 140.9 Proof Uncut, Unfiltered, Cask Strength Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey Releases on September 23, 2023

Fast Facts About Cowboy Bourbon® ‘HazMat’ 2023:

  • Style: Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  • Mashbill: sweet mash, undisclosed grain bill.
  • Age: 6+ Years
  • Proof: 140.9
  • Nose: scents of fresh lumber and honey wheat bread, potent enough to stir the senses.
  • Palate: initial heat reveals an array of flavors – warm plums, rhubarb, cocoa powder and cherry juice, balanced by the earthiness of roasted pecans and a touch of white chocolate and clove honey.
  • Finish: a mix of cinnamon candy, burnt marshmallows, chewy caramels and apple cider, leaving behind a warmth akin to spicy citrus cinnamon and comforting apple pie
  • Bottle Yield: 9,600
  • Price: $249.99
  • Availability: 8,600 bottles available nationally in the first week of October.

Garrison Brothers, Texas’ first legal bourbon distillery, will release the 2023 Cowboy Bourbon® ‘HazMat’ on Saturday September 23 at their annual distillery event in Hye, Texas. This year’s uncut, unfiltered, cask-strength release clocks in an astounding 140.9 proof and yielded 9,600 bottles. The first 1,000 bottles will be claimed by devoted fans at the distillery, while the remaining 8,600 bottles will be available across the country by the first week of October.  

Cowboy Bourbon® is Garrison Brothers’ most elite expression offering the truest taste of Texas terroir on the market. The release comes from what Master Distiller Donnis Todd calls his “piggy bank” of barrels that are just too flavorful on first taste to bottle. He patiently saves and collects these specific barrels as he finds them during his daily, monthly and yearly taste tests, if he deems them of having Cowboy Bourbon® potential. Years later, he takes these barrels out of the already incredibly harsh Texas climate in which they are aging and puts them to the ultimate test: more Texas heat. The already incredibly high-proof barrels continue to age, with some ending up completely empty. Those that remain are collected and married together to make the legendary Cowboy Bourbon® bottled at cask-strength, uncut and unfiltered.  

Every barrel used in this year’s release was at least six years old. The 2023 Cowboy Bourbon® greets you with an alluring bourbon perfume blending scents of fresh lumber and honey wheat bread, potent enough to stir the senses. The initial heat reveals an array of flavors – warm plums, rhubarb, cocoa powder and cherry juice, balanced by the earthiness of roasted pecans and a touch of white chocolate and clove honey. The finish is a delightful mix of cinnamon candy, burnt marshmallows, chewy caramels and apple cider, leaving behind a warmth akin to spicy citrus cinnamon and comforting apple pie.  

It holds true even at 140.9, I truly believe the flavor overpowers the proof.  

Donnis Todd, Garrison Brothers Master Distiller

The suggested retail price of Cowboy Bourbon® ‘HazMat’ is $249.99. While it sells out quickly it can be found at liquor retailers and bars nationwide beginning October 1, 2023. Each bottle is hand-signed and numbered by Master Distiller Donnis Todd and comes housed in a rugged, custom-built gift box lined with a satin pillow.  

Cowboy Bourbon® has been recognized with numerous Platinum and Gold awards at several prestigious spirits competitions, such as the 2023 SIP Awards, the 2023 ASCOT Awards and the 2023 TAG Global Spirit Awards.  

For more information about Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon® www.garrisonbros.com/our-babies/cowboy. 

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 18,000 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 the first distillery outside of Kentucky to produce authentic, handmade bourbon whiskey—and only bourbon whiskey.   

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.   

Garrison Brothers’ bourbon is consistently awarded Best of Platinum and Gold at prestigious spirits competitions around the world. Cowboy Bourbon® has been recognized with numerous Platinum and Gold awards at several prestigious spirits competitions, such as the 2023 SIP Awards, the 2023 ASCOT Awards and the 2023 TAG Global Spirit Awards. Garrison Brothers’ Guadalupe was awarded Best in Show and Platinum at the 2023 ASCOT Awards as well as Consumer’s Choice Award and Gold at the 2023 SIP Awards and Spirit of the Year, Best Multi-Barrel Whiskey and Platinum at the San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge. The 2022 Berlin International Spirits Competition awarded Garrison Brothers Distillery with USA Whiskey Distillery of the Year.  

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. 

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