Add to that the fact that the distillery uses smaller barrels in addition to regular 53-gallon ones, something that not every whiskey drinker is a fan of-but it happens to work in this case. The folks at Garrison credit this to the particular climate in which the whiskey matures, with hot days and cool nights that rapidly accelerate the interaction between whiskey and wood. The bourbon coming out of this distillery in Hye, about an hour outside of Austin, can be described using some classic Texas stereotypes-bold, brash, and big in flavor. Garrison Brothers is a small Texas distillery that holds the title of being the first legal whiskey maker to operate in the state since Prohibition. Welcome to The Oeno Files, Robb Report’s New Weekly Wine NewsletterĮl Tesoro’s New Tequila Was Aged in Knob Creek Rye Barrels on YouTube.LeBron James’s Tequila Brand Is Re-Releasing Its Añejo Expression I will discuss the list and answer questions tonight at 8 p.m. So, I would have tasted several from the distillery if a single barrel product is on this list. I did permit single barrels to make this list, as long as there was a consistent track record of their 2021 single barrels. But let it be known: Pursuit Rye is outstanding. I also omitted Pursuit Rye, because I am business partners with Kenny Coleman and Ryan Cecil in the Bourbon Pursuit Podcast. I did not consider availability or price when making this list other than omitting the Pappy Van Winkle lineup and this year’s Michter’s 20 & 25 year releases. But if a distillery’s batched releases seemed to be similar from batch to batch, such as Larceny’s, I only chose one from their lineup. For example, if I like something that may seem bizarre to traditional whiskey drinkers, such as a peated rye, I let my ranking show that. I assessed color, nose, palate, finish and weighed the uniqueness of a product in its category. Some tastings were public, such as my YouTube reviews, while others were done privately or in a spirits competition. However, there are a couple late 2020 releases in this mix. I had to taste them for the first time in 2021, which means most of these were mostly released in 2021. On January 5, on a YouTube Livestream, I will announce the rankings and blind taste the Top 10 to choose the No. The list below represents the whiskeys that made my Top 100. But that is why we are completing this list in January. I am glad we did, because we raised more than $3.4 million for tornado victims. My team and I put our heart and soul into the Kentucky Bourbon Benefit. Thus, I thought a list of 100 makes a stronger representation of the quality in the American whiskey space than 25, which would leave out many worthy products. And as individuals, we all have our own palates. In other words, outside the Top 15, the rankings are super close for me. 25 might not even make someone else’s list. Most categories are well represented, but rye and bourbons make up the bulk. Well, this list encompasses all types of American whiskey: Blends of Straights, Ryes, Bourbons, Single Malts, etc. This list represents what I like, and I am a single person, so there will be no votes. A vote is taken and preferential tastes decide. For example, when scoring is used, I’ve been in panels that had two 96s. Panels are better for determining Best in Class. I also feel a ranking system is more accurate for a single critic to choose a whiskey of the year. This year was also the start of my spirits competition - The American Spirits Council of Tasters - and I wanted my rankings to be different than the ASCOT Awards. And with the massive number of whiskeys I tasted this year, I saw an opportunity to begin my Top 100.

I love reading the polls and listening to people debate about who should be No. For my American Whiskey of the Year tasting, I dipped into something I’ve always been obsessed with - College Football Rankings.

Garrison brothers whiskey jug review