Garrison Brothers Balmorhea

Balmorhea is a whiskey from Garrison Brothers. The product details give no proof, age, mash bill or ABV, so the notes below describe what a Texas-made whiskey in this category usually offers. They are not measured claims about this bottle. Expect the grain-forward sweetness of an American whiskey: caramel and vanilla from charred oak, baking spice on the mid-palate, and a dry, woody finish. Warm-climate aging tends to pull more oak and sweetness from the barrel than cooler regions do, so a bit of toasted wood and brown sugar would not be out of place. Read the label for the exact style and strength before choosing how to serve it. To judge it first, pour about an ounce neat into a Glencairn. The tapered bowl gathers the aroma, and the oak, vanilla and spice are easier to pick out there than in a wide tumbler. Then add a few drops of room-temperature water. A little dilution usually loosens the grain and sweetness and softens any alcohol heat. If you prefer it cold, a single large cube in a rocks glass chills it with minimal dilution, though cold mutes aroma, so you will notice less of the vanilla and spice. In cocktails, an Old Fashioned is the most direct fit. Use a sugar cube or a teaspoon of rich simple syrup, two dashes of Angostura bitters and an orange peel. The drink lets the oak and sweetness come through. A Manhattan with sweet vermouth and a cherry suits the darker, spicier side of the whiskey. For a Whiskey Sour, shake 2 oz of whiskey with ¾ oz of lemon juice and ¾ oz of simple syrup. Add egg white if you like a silkier body. For a Highball, pour 1.5 oz over plenty of ice and top with 4 to 5 oz of soda water and a lemon twist. That is a lighter way to drink it, and it works well with grilled or smoked meats, where the whiskey's sweetness and wood echo the char.