Wildflower honey | Raisin | Aged leather | Aged charred oak | Faint toasted marshmallow | Molasses | Touch of brown sugar

Toasted brown sugar | Syrup-soaked raisin | Spiced honey | Faint burnt cinnamon crumble | Kentucky cream pull candy | Slightly tannic dry oak | Dark molasses

Aged dry oak | White peppercorn spice | Cinnamon spice | Spiced honey | Toasted raisin bread | Chewy oak chips | Dry

Now in its fourth year of production, Lady Bird is one of many barrel-finished whiskeys that Garrison Brothers produces each year. The bourbon starts off as a 4 year old Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon before being infused with Burleson's Texas Wildflower Honey for an additional 8-9 months, which creates the distillery’s HoneyDew Bourbon. This HoneyDew Bourbon is then transferred into French Cognac XO casks to mature for an additional 3 years, which results in the creation of Lady Bird. With a focus on conservation, the bottles come with a packet of wildflower seeds, and for every bottle of Lady Bird sold, $5 will be donated to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Lady Bird is known for its rich flavors, and the 2026 edition doesn’t disappoint. The aroma is full of its trademark scents found in past editions, including rich wildflower honey, raisin, molasses, and charred oak. The midpoint begins to reveal its extended time in its finishing barrels, thanks to a slightly tannic dry oak note. Toasted brown sugar, faint burnt cinnamon, and dark molasses are quite noticeable, while syrup-soaked raisin and spiced honey show the impact that the honey and cognac barrel impart. The finish pulls in spice thanks to white peppercorn, cinnamon, and spiced honey, while aged dry oak, toasted raisin brand, and chewy oak chips provide a dry ending.

There’s no denying that this year’s edition of Lady Bird starts off with intrigue, thanks to its incredibly rich flavor profile that leans into its honey and molasses. Fans of aged oak and sickly sweet flavors will be right at home, but this year’s edition, while still good, can’t quite compete with the excellent 2024 release, or even last year’s release, in part due to it’s dryer nature in the midpoint and finish. That said, Garrison Brothers Distillery continues to prove that they’re naturals when it comes to high aged barrel finished bourbons.

The bourbon review is bottle number 56 of 7,000.