Out here the Hill Country keeps its own clock. Gates swing slow. Live oaks whisper when they feel like it. The wind rakes a rickhouse roof until it finds the right note. That is where this story started and where it kept circling back, barrel after barrel, summer after summer, until the whiskey finally said it was ready.
We are proud to share Garrison Brothers Bottled-in-Bond, distilled in the Fall of 2019 and bottled at a clean and simple 100 proof. We did not chase a term for a label. We chased a standard. The goal was simple. Make the first Texas bottled-in-bond bourbon that can sit on any back bar in America and not blink.
“People think patience is quiet,” Dan Garrison said one balmy afternoon when the air was sticking to your shirt and the barrels breathed Angel’s Share like sleeping bulls. “Patience here is loud. Barrels groan. The barn roof snaps and pops. The angels do not whisper when they take their share. They are excited and vocal. We waited on the bourbon because Texas does not hand out shortcuts.”
Why bottled-in-bond matters
In 1897 the Bottled-in-Bond Act promised drinkers something honest. One distilling season. One distiller. One distillery. At least four years in bonded storage under U.S. supervision. Bottled at exactly 100 proof. No hedging. No hiding. It is the kind of rule that demands better whiskey, not bigger adjectives. We like that kind of rule.
“The Fall of 2019 was our season,” Master Distiller Donnis Todd said, running a hand along a honey-colored stave like it was an old friend. “One run, one place, one team. Then we let Texas do what Texas does. Hot days. Cool nights. Oak inhaling and exhaling until the whiskey got bold, and layered, and honest. We were not chasing ‘bottled-in-bond.’ We were chasing the best bottled-in-bond bourbon ever made.”
Why it took us this long
There were faster paths. We ignored them. We picked barrels, second-guessed ourselves, set them back down, and kept listening. We rotated racks. We tasted. We argued. We waited some more. The whiskey wrote the calendar.
“My brother likes to say swagger only counts if you have the credibility to back it up,” Charlie Garrison said with a grin. “This bottle is living proof. It is Garrison Brothers at 100 proof, straight down the middle, with nothing to hide and a whole lot to say.”
“This bourbon tastes like home and hard work poured into one glass,” Nancy Garrison said. “We built our distillery with stubborn pride, strong community roots and an uncompromising belief in doing it right. We could have rushed but that is not who we are. I am proud of our team and proud of what this bottle means for Texas bourbon.”
What is in the bottle
You will find our house character with its boots shined. Power that minds its manners. Oak that went to summer school. A finish that takes its time without overstaying. Heat-forged in the scorching Texas sun. Built for a quiet porch pour or a loud celebration with friends.
Release news
Bottled in Bond
A 100 Proof Texas Celebration
The release happens February 28, 2026 in Hye, Texas. A limited number of bottles will be available at the distillery first; what remains will go to retailers afterward. If you want first notice, jump on our email list and keep an eye on our social channels.
The Primer, told plain
What is bottled-in-bond bourbon
Think of it as America’s original quality seal. One distilling season in the same year. One distiller at one distillery. At least four years aging in a bonded warehouse under federal supervision. Bottled at exactly 100 proof. When you see it on a label you are looking at a promise kept.
Is bottled-in-bond always 100 proof
Yes. Not higher. Not lower. Exactly 100.
Why did we wait until now
Because the whiskey told us to hold our horses. Texas weather moves flavor fast. Real balance still takes time. We wanted a bottled-in-bond that could square up with any bottle in the country and hold court. This one can.
How is a Texas bottled-in-bond different
Our Hill Country swing pushes oak to breathe hard. Hot days. Cool nights. Big moves in the barrel. The result is bold and disciplined at the same time. It still tastes like Garrison Brothers. Only now it is standing at attention at 100 proof.
Quick facts to remember
Distilling season was Fall 2019. Proof is 100. Release is February 28, 2026 in Hye. Limited to start. More to come.
Come see us. Bring your curiosity. Bring a glass that can handle a little Texas.
