Garrison Brothers Small Batch: The Wheated Bourbon That Breaks the Rules

Bourbon & BS — Blog #50 By Mike Foti, Founder & Director, Bison Bourbon & Spirits Training Company Helping you Master Spirits and Guide Choices.

Welcome back to Bourbon and BS, the blog and podcast where we dive deep into the world of spirits, one shot at a time. I’m Mike Foti, Founder and Director of the Bison Bourbon and Spirits Training Company — where my mission is simple: to help you Master Spirits and Guide Choices.

Garrison Brothers Small Batch: The Wheated Bourbon That Breaks the Rules

Whiskey has a way of inserting itself into our lives through people, places, and moments.

Before I ever opened a bottle of Garrison Brothers, the brand was already tied to a friendship forged on the Kintyre Peninsula — one American and one Scotsman learning whiskey at Springbank, walking the malting floors, and talking about fermentation like we were solving world problems.

Felix, my friend from Edinburgh, was the one who first pushed Garrison Brothers into my orbit. He had recently learned of their Bottled in Bond release and insisted he needed it. The problem, of course, was geography: Garrison Brothers doesn’t ship overseas. Felix solved that by having two bottles shipped directly to my house, and I solved the reciprocity problem by carting both bottles back to Edinburgh in exchange for two bottles of Springbank Scotch — a trade that borders on poetic, considering you can’t find Springbank anywhere in the United States.

I later found a bottle of the same BiB at Addy’s, which only added to the growing sense that Garrison Brothers was becoming part of my whiskey landscape. And after a fair share of Scotch while in the UK, those bottles still sit unopened. They’ve become part of a story and part of my inventory.

But the real surprise came a few days ago.

I was wandering through Colonial in Orchard Park — no agenda, no shopping list — when I noticed Garrison Brothers Small Batch sitting on the shelf at $69.99, and I happened to have a $10 credit from previous purchases. A wheated bourbon at a good price, tied to a friend, tied to Springbank, tied to a memory? Of course I bought it.

I took it home expecting an evening of sensory comfort. What I got instead was sensory confrontation.

This wheated bourbon didn’t behave like a wheated bourbon at all. It hit like a high rye. It dried out my palate with tannins. It carried more heat than I would ever expect at 94 proof. It challenged every assumption I walked into the tasting with. And that is where the real story begins.

Why This Wheated Bourbon Drinks Like a High Rye

Texas Heat: The Great Equalizer

Garrison Brothers ages whiskey in the brutal Texas Hill Country, where barrelhouses routinely push past 100 degrees. In that environment, the barrel becomes the dominant force:

• Tannins extract aggressively

• Lignin breaks down into spice‑like compounds

• Evaporation concentrates alcohol and congeners

Wheat can soften youth, but it cannot soften Texas. This is why the palate registers drying tannin, unexpected heat, and structural intensity. The climate overrides the mash bill.

Small Barrels, Big Extraction

Garrison Brothers frequently uses 15–30 gallon barrels, which dramatically increase wood surface area. More wood contact means:

• More tannin

• More spice

• More oak grip

• Less “soft wheat” character

This is why the whiskey feels angular rather than plush.

A Naturally Bold Distillate

Their distillation approach intentionally preserves:

• Grain oils

• Fermentation esters

• Heavy congeners

Even at 94 proof, the whiskey carries the mouthfeel of something closer to 105–110 proof. The heat isn’t ethanol — it’s the congener load.

Wheat Isn’t Sweet When Oak Takes Over

Most drinkers associate wheated bourbon with softness: Weller, Maker’s Mark, Larceny, Hartman’s BiB. But wheat only behaves that way when oak extraction is moderate.

In Texas, oak extraction is never moderate.

This is why sensory expectations collapse the moment the whiskey hits the palate.

The Sensory Experience

Nose

Dark oak, baking spice, and a surprising fruit note that sits beneath the tannin structure. Less pastry sweetness than expected from a wheater.

Palate

Assertive from the first sip. Tannic grip. Spice reminiscent of high‑rye bourbons. Concentrated oak. A mid‑palate that feels more structural than sweet.

Finish

Long, warm, drying. The tannins linger. The wheat is present, but only as a supporting player. The barrel is the star.

The Lesson

Garrison Brothers Small Batch is a reminder that mash bill does not dictate destiny. Climate, cooperage, and distillation can override grain expectations and create something entirely different.

This wheated bourbon behaves like a high rye not because the grain changed, but because everything around it did.

It’s a whiskey that challenges assumptions, and that’s precisely why it deserves attention. It’s also a whiskey tied to friendship, travel, and the unpredictable ways bottles find their way into our lives.

I brought two Bottled in Bond bottles to Edinburgh. I carried Springbank back across the Atlantic. And then, on an ordinary day in Orchard Park, I found a bottle that reminded me why whiskey is never just whiskey.

And it looks like this whiskey swapping could become a regular event. Felix has already sent me two more special release bottles from Garrison Brothers, and I’ll be headed back to Scotland as part of my next training with the Spirits Institute. I’ve been accepted into the spirits certification program at the University of Kentucky, and I’m already wondering what Felix will have to pick up for me on our next exchange.

Whiskey: It’s a story. It’s a surprise. It’s a lesson. It brings people together, and sometimes, it’s all four in the same glass.

Thanks for joining me on this whiskey deep dive.

Whether you’re a beginner discovering new flavors or an aficionado pursuing perfection, the journey always has another fascinating glass to offer.

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Whiskey Workshop.

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I’ll be back next time with another deep dive. Until then, check out the blog, explore the merchandise, and join me for a workshop or tasting at Buffalo Distilling Company.

Keep sipping, keep exploring, and remember: good whiskey is like a well‑crafted story.

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Cheers to Bold Spirits and Curious Minds.

Mike Foti Clinical Laboratory Scientist 40+‑year pharmaceutical executive 47‑year law enforcement officer Internationally credentialed spirits educator Helping you Master Spirits to guide your future choices