Garrison Brothers Balmorhea Bourbon (2026) — Review Brief
A focused summary of the 2026 Balmorhea release: what’s in the bottle, how it tastes compared with recent editions, scoring, price, and the distillery’s charity commitment.
Useful takeaways from this story.
Balmorhea is a double-aged Garrison Brothers bourbon: four years in Ozarks American white oak, then one year in half-size Minnesota white oak barrels.
The 2026 release is 115 proof, rated A-, priced around $180, and includes a very limited single-barrel variant released the same year.
# What Balmorhea is
# Price, score, and availability
# Charity connection
# Tasting snapshot — 2026
# How 2026 compares to recent vintages
- 2024 and earlier: those releases showed stronger winey, Maderized/oxidized qualities, with pronounced woody and tannic elements and mesquite or barbecue smoke. Winey notes were more present in 2024.
- 2026: tannins are better integrated, winey notes are largely absent, and the expression leans into smoky, coffee-chocolate flavors with herbal lift.
# Who this bottle is for
# Bottom line Balmorhea remains a distinctive Garrison Brothers release because of its double-aging regimen and charity tie-in. The 2026 bottling smooths some of the heavier winey characteristics of prior years, emphasizing integrated tannin, smoky-char, and coffee-chocolate flavors while maintaining the brand's bold Texas character.
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