Garrison Brothers Ranch Reserve Bourbon Finished in PX Sherry Casks Review

Distillers: Garrison Brothers Distillery

Proof: 109.0 (54.5% ABV)

Age: 8 Years (4 Years in American Oak + 4 Years in Pedro Ximénez Sherry Casks)

Mashbill: 74% White Corn, 15% Soft Red Winter Wheat, 11% Malted Barley

MSRP: $160

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A finished bourbon that does not cover the whiskey — it carries it somewhere new.

From the outset, Garrison Brothers stated and always remained true to their aim to not make ordinary bourbon.  The distillery has always seemed intent on proving that Texas whiskey can stand on its own, with bold flavor, serious aging, and does not need to borrow any identity from Kentucky.  That matters with this release because Garrison Brothers Bourbon Finished in PX Sherry Casks does not feel anything like a side experiment.  Instead, it feels like a distillery trying to take its whiskey to a new height.

This bourbon spent four years aging, then another four years in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks from Spain.  That is not a quick secondary finishing pass.  Four years in any secondary cask is enough time to reshape a whiskey, for better or worse.  The upfront promise seems easy to interpret:  take the bold Garrison Brothers bourbon profile and give it darker fruit, richer sweetness, more flavor depth, coupled with a slower-sipping profile.  The risk is just as easy to see.  A PX finish can easily drift too sweet, too heavy, too obvious or even obnoxious.  It can sometimes taste like sherry poured over bourbon instead of a bourbon transformed by sherry.

That is not what happened here.  This is a whiskey elevated.  The influence is clear, but it does not feel gimmicky.  It brings dark fruit, chocolate, toffee, and richness, but the bourbon is still right there underneath it all.  This is not Garrison Brothers hiding its bourbon behind a finishing cask.  This is Garrison Brothers using the cask to take the bourbon somewhere darker, richer, more refined, more elegant.

Garrison Brothers Ranch Reserve Bourbon Finished in PX Sherry Casks Review: Tasting Notes

Nose – 4.6/5

Dark fruit.  Chocolate.  Sun-dried white raisin.  Dry oak.

Strengths:  Full of notes.  Clearly defined.  Leaves you enthusiastic to come back to. Sweetness, dark fruit, and chocolate show first.  Bourbon stays present and underneath the sherry influence.
Why It’s Not Higher:  The Nose is excellent, but the Palate is where this whiskey really separates itself.  There’s not much to dislike here.
Rating Justification:  Delivers richness without becoming muddled, sharp, or overly sweet. Gives the expected sherry character while still holding onto enough bourbon structure to feel like it’s a refined bourbon, not a gimmick.

Palate – 4.9/5

Dark toffee.  Toasted corn.  Red grape concentrate.  Dry oak.

Strengths:  The Palate is the heart of this whiskey.  Arrives sweet, savory, and chocolatey with bold flavor rather than heat.  Entry leans sweet, then the savory notes rise through the mid-Palate before baking spice follows.  Darker fruit and chocolate build toward the back end.  Texture stays full but not heavy or syrupy.
Why It’s Not Higher:  Very little to criticize.  A 5.0 needs to be held for the rare pour where I cannot reasonably ask for anything more.
Rating Justification:  One of the best secondary finished bourbon Palates I have tasted.  The PX cask does not simply add sherry notes.  It transforms the bourbon into something new and refined while still letting the Garrison Brothers whiskey remain recognizable.

Finish – 4.8/5

Savory spice. Sweet cinnamon. Wintermint tingle. Lingering oak.

Strengths:  Long and pleasant.  Felt on the back Palate and sides, with savory spice and sweet cinnamon carrying forward before the sweetness fades into a strong wintermint tingle.  A final lift as it fades keeps the whiskey lively and makes another sip easy to want.
Why It’s Not Higher:  Excellent and memorable, but the Palate remains the high point.  The Finish extends the whiskey beautifully, though it does not quite surpass the development of the Palate.
Rating Justification:  Length, structure, and identity.  Does not merely fade away.  Evolves, reinforces the character of the underlying bourbon, and leaves a final impression that fits the rest of the pour.

Value – 4.6/5

At $160, this is not an everyday bottle, and it is intended to be.  This is a premium finished bourbon aimed at enthusiasts, especially those who already appreciate the Garrison Brothers style.

For those enthusiasts, the Value is strong.  The price makes sense because the whiskey delivers more than novelty.  The 109 proof feels right.  It gives the bourbon enough lift to carry the richness of the sherry, but it never turns into proof heat just for the sake of proof heat.

I would drink this neat.  A rock might soften it, but I would be careful with dilution because the best part of this whiskey is the way it builds:  sweet entry, savory development, baking spice, dark fruit, chocolate, dry oak, and that long wintermint Finish.  At $160, I would want to savor what makes it special rather than tame it down.

Garrison Brothers Ranch Reserve Bourbon Finished in PX Sherry Casks Review: The Verdict

Garrison Brothers Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in PX Sherry Casks is a rare secondary finished bourbon where the cask does not cover the whiskey.  It carries it somewhere new.

That is the difference here.  This does not taste like sherry laid on top of bourbon.  It tastes like bourbon that has been transformed by sherry.  It is not simply a dessert pour.

This is not an entry-level bourbon, and it is not a mixer.  It is a serious neat pour for enthusiasts, especially those who already appreciate what Garrison Brothers brings to the table.  For me, this is probably the most successful finished bourbon I have tasted because the PX cask does not disguise the base whiskey.  It elevates it.

Verdict – 4.7/5

We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.

Scoring System:

• Platinum – 4.5 – 5
• Gold – 4 – 4.5
• Silver – 3 – 4
• Bronze – <3