Review: Garrison Brothers Guadalupe Bourbon (Updated 2025)
Update: We’re moving all of our Guadalupe Bourbon coverage here, so you can check out commentary of the releases over the years.
“Perfectly suited for the bourbon connoisseur with a sophisticated palate,” this latest Garrison Bros. release comes finished in (Portuguese) Port wine casks. Per the distillery:
Bottled at 107 proof, Guadalupe is a Port cask-finished bourbon named for one of Texas’ most beautiful rivers. Master Distiller Donnis Todd connected and worked directly with winemakers in Portugal to secure rich and juicy port casks. He discovered that a magic maturation combination was four years in white American oak casks and then two additional years in the tawny port casks.
“Over the past decade, we’ve built lasting friendships with great people across the world as we searched for the perfect port barrel. These connections are just as special to me as the bourbon we have produced,” says Todd.
This is an annual release, with release date information appearing on the side label. 90 barrels of this 2022 release were distilled in 2015. Let’s give it a whirl.
Garrison Brothers Guadalupe Bourbon (2025) Review
This year’s release (the fifth) yielded 8600 bottles, plus the launch of a cask strength version, with 1000 bottles available for the first time. The formula seems little changed here — four years in new oak, two years in tawny Port — and neither does the end result. Aggressively woody at first blush, the nose takes some time to mellow down and find its fruit, but time proves valuable as is often the case with Texas whiskeys, allowing a slurry of raisins, toasted/glazed pecans, and maple to flood the senses. As with many a Garrison release, the melding of charred wood and heavy fruit can be a little intense, both on the nose and the palate, and time in glass helps to settle things down a bit (as does some water). The theme remains steady on the palate, with light notes of coffee and some anise coming into focus — right alongside a tighter, more tannic raisin and spiced plum character than is evidenced on the nose. Pungent, almost overwhelming, the finish evokes a torched orange peel character, then more cloves and the smoldering note of extinguished candles. As always, this is a tough whiskey to put down, but it also always keeps you at arm’s length. My gut tells me a slightly lower abv might be the way forward. 107 proof. B+ / $150 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Garrison Brothers Guadalupe Bourbon (2024) Review
This is the fourth year for Guadalupe, with a release of 10,500 bottles available. The unique maturation of this whiskey starts with four years in white American oak casks followed by two years in tawny Port barrels from Portugal. The slightly ruddy hue is a clear nod to the Port influence, and the nose picks up on that front, melding a deep barrel char character with heavy notes of black fruit, a bit of tar, and a slight hint of maple syrup. The whiskey needs a little time in glass to settle down and let some of its char-heavy character evaporate, but when it does those fruit-driven elements really take over — in a good way. Chewy raisin, bittersweet chocolate, and a growing coffee element pair well with the lingering and more rustic elements from the initial barrel, with a cocktail cherry on top for the finish. The longer it sits in glass, the more these flavors begin to coalesce and balance one another out. More complex and immersive than the more aggressively sweet 2022 release (linked above), though I’ve warmed up to it somewhat since my original encounter. That said: Plan on sitting with the 2024 for awhile to maximize its charms. 107 proof. A- / $150 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Garrison Brothers Guadalupe Bourbon (2022) Review
A pretty shade of brick red, the whiskey has the look of Port but the aroma of, well, Garrison Brothers: Bold with charred wood and mesquite, though tempered by notes of dried figs, cloves, and some dark chocolate, that Port influence at least making itself somewhat known. The palate continues the theme, blending very sweet and very savory/smoky elements into a somewhat fitful whole: It’s chewy and laden with extracted fruit — more figs, dates, and some raisiny and almost pruny notes — but the underlying barrel influence remains undeniable. Smoldering notes of campfire embers and uncontrolled grass fire add a massive, peppery pungency to the whiskey, and while the sweetness from the Port finish attempts to counterbalance this, it doesn’t wholly work. The fruity components never quite manage to put the hefty wood-driven character in check, soon finding themselves driven to the sidelines. The finish is searing, though water is of help, culminating on a note of gunpowder, black pepper, and clove. Fans of Garrison Brothers will find this a curious, fig- and raisin-infused diversion from the house style — but still very much grounded as a member of the family. 107 proof. B / $200 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
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