Garrison Brothers Distillery has announced the 2020 release of HoneyDew, the latest addition to the company’s portfolio of Texas-born bourbon whiskies.
This 80-proof bourbon is infused with 100% Texas-made Burleson’s wildflower honey. HoneyDew is a smooth, light bourbon with a subtle honey finish, the company says. It will be available year-round in select liquor stores, bars, and restaurants throughout Texas, California, Florida, New York and 21 other states, as well as on military bases where Garrison Brothers is sold.
This special release is 13 years in the making and represents a departure from previous expressions created by the brand, the company says. Nancy Garrison, business partner and wife of proprietor Dan Garrison, wanted the distillery to produce a honey-sweetened bourbon whiskey since they started the business together in 2006. Dan strongly objected due to his disdain for “flavored whiskies,” hence the name “HoneyDew”, as a play on “Honey Do” requests. Garrison’s objections to flavored whiskies come from the fact that so many are syrupy, chemical concoctions.
Master Distiller Donnis Todd emptied 176 four-year-old Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon barrels, coopered by Black Swan Cooperage, into a stainless-steel tank, where the liquid mellowed for seven months. He then sawed the empty bourbon barrels into small wooden cubes and immersed the cubes in Burleson’s Texas Wildflower Honey. The cubes were then infused with more Burleson’s Honey by Matt Albrecht of River Drive Cooperage, using a technique called Fiber Infusion Technology. Once Todd was satisfied that the cubes had absorbed the honey, he used cheesecloth to contain the cubes and immersed them in the stainless-steel tank of bourbon every day for six months.
“It’s exciting to have two family-owned businesses collaborating in support of Texas agriculture and entrepreneurship,” says Tim Burleson, president of Burleson’s Honey. “It’s been a rewarding experience to work with Dan Garrison over the years and we’re excited to deepen Burleson’s relationship with him and his team. We want to continue bringing fine honey and fine bourbon together for everyone to enjoy.”
The new bourbon has tasting notes of sweet elderberry syrup, yellow-flesh peaches, apricots, white chocolate and golden Texas honey, the company reports.
The suggested retail price for Garrison Brothers Distillery HoneyDew Bourbon is $89.99 per 750-ml. bottle. Bottles will be distributed to select liquor stores, bars and restaurants across the nation, available for purchase nationwide, the week of August 1.
