Texas Bourbon Has Been Earning This
I remember when Texas bourbon was a punchline. "Aged in a hot barn, tastes like a barrel fire" — that was the knock for years, and honestly, it wasn't always wrong. Heat-cycling in Texas is brutal. Barrels that would take twelve years to mature in Kentucky can be done in four or five down in the Hill Country, but "done" and "nuanced" are two different things.
Garrison Brothers changed that conversation. They've been doing this since 2010, and the patience they've shown — releasing mature, high-quality expressions at proper age statements — has earned them real credibility in a market that doesn't give that out easily. So when they announced the Ranch Reserve Series, a line dedicated to exceptional cask finishes, I paid attention. The first two releases are a PX Sherry Cask and an Oloroso Sherry Cask, both available starting June 27, 2026. I got early access to both. Let's get into it.
What Makes the Ranch Reserve Different
Here's what you need to know about how these are made. Both expressions start as Garrison Brothers Texas Straight Small Batch Bourbon, aged four years in new, toasted, and charred white American oak barrels in that relentless Texas heat. Then they go into 59-gallon sherry casks for an additional four years — bringing the total age to eight years. That's serious commitment. A lot of distilleries will "finish" a bourbon for six months in a wine or spirits cask and call it a day. Four years is not a finish. That's a full secondary maturation.
The PX casks held Pedro Ximénez sherry — the darkest, sweetest style of sherry, made from sun-dried grapes and tasting almost like liquid raisins. The Oloroso casks held the drier, nuttier style. The bourbon going into these casks is already big and sweet — Texas bourbon tends to be — so the PX could theoretically become a one-note sugar bomb. It doesn't. Let me explain why.
The PX Sherry Cask: Sweet but Structured
This one's an indulgent pour. It's the bourbon equivalent of a slice of pecan pie at Thanksgiving — you know what you're getting, and you want every bit of it. Splash a couple drops of water and those dried fruit notes bloom into something almost port-like. At $149.99, it's not cheap, but for eight years and this quality of sherry influence, it's priced fairly against comparable finishes in the market.
The Oloroso Sherry Cask: The One I'll Buy Again
This is the more interesting bottle, in my opinion. The Oloroso finish adds complexity without overwhelming the bourbon underneath. You're still drinking Texas straight bourbon — the big proof, the forward caramel, the oak — but there's a savory, structured quality here that makes each pour a little different depending on the glass, the temperature, and what you've been eating. That's a sign of a well-made expression. Six thousand bottles at $149.99. Go find one.
The Cigar That Belongs Beside Both of These
With the PX Sherry, you want something that can hold its own against that sweetness without competing with it. My pick: an Oliva Serie V Melanio. The Melanio's Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper brings natural sweetness and creaminess, and the Nicaraguan core adds enough pepper and leather that it doesn't drown in the toffee and fig notes coming off the glass. Smoke it slowly. Let the first third warm up before you pour your second finger.
For the Oloroso, I'd go fuller and more complex — something with earth and spice to match that savory backbone. A My Father Le Bijou 1922 torpedo is my call here. The San Andrés wrapper brings chocolate and dark earth, and the Nicaraguan Jalapa filler delivers a black pepper hit that weaves right into the Oloroso's baking spices. I smoked one alongside the Oloroso on my back porch last week and didn't want either of them to end.
Both available at Famous Smoke Shop — one of the best selections of premium Nicaraguan cigars online.
Final Verdict
The Garrison Brothers Ranch Reserve series is exactly what it should be: a serious, unhurried exploration of what sherry cask finishing can do to Texas bourbon when you give it actual time. The PX is the crowd-pleaser, rich and indulgent in all the right ways. The Oloroso is the enthusiast's pick — more complex, more nuanced, more replayable. At $149.99 each, neither is an impulse buy, but both deliver at the price.
Both bottles release June 27, 2026, with 6,000 bottles per expression. They'll move fast. If you're a Garrison Brothers fan, or if you've been curious about what Texas bourbon looks like when someone refuses to rush it, this is your moment.
Pour the Oloroso. Light the Le Bijou. Give yourself an hour. You'll understand what I'm talking about.