quote:
Why the quotes around "bourbon"? Garrison Brothers is bourbon by every definition, even if it isnt good bourbon by most accounts.
I realize that, of course. Perhaps someone on this board can educate me on Garrison, and Texas "bourbon" in particular.
Are the rickhouses climate controlled or open? Herein lies my (perhaps) uneducated opposition to the idea of a Texas bourbon.
If climate controlled, then the freeze/thaw cycles are artificial. Note that I'm referring simply to the outdoor temperature cycle, not the actual freezing/thawing of whiskey in the barrel. That won't necessarily make an impact on the finished product, but it does add an air of inauthenticity, at least in my opinion. If they're open, then a central texas rickhouse won't get the freeze/thaw cycles of the natural mid atlantic/Appalachian seasons. Furthermore, the rickhouse probably gets a LOT hotter during the longer, hotter summer than you'll get in TN/KY/WV/VA/etc. This absolutely will make an impact on the finished product.
The proof, of course, is in the tasting, and when I get around to opening this bottle, I guess I'll see for myself, and I'll have a more informed opinion.
For now, color me skeptical.