Green River Distilling has a long history. They are one of the 10 oldest distilleries in Kentucky and they are proud of their DSP-KY-10 designation. Originally founded way back in 1885, the distillery burned down in 1918. Shortly after Prohibition, the distillery was rebuilt in 1933, only to be shuttered in 1955. Like many old brands, it is getting a revival, and the distillery was reconstructed again in 2014, with distilling starting in 2016.
Fast forward to 2022 and the first bottles are distributed of Green River Bourbon. Now in 2024, Green River adds rye, single barrel and full proof offerings to its product family. That leads us to today with the Full Proof Bourbon. The most interesting part of this review for me is that I have never had a drop of any Green River whiskey. The good thing is I have no preconceived notions about the bourbon. The bad thing is that I have no idea what I am getting into. So, let’s see what Green River has produced.
This whisky was provided to us as a review sample by the distillery. This did not influence the final outcome of this review in any way.
Green River Full Proof Bourbon
Class: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
SRP: $50
Proof: 58.65% ABV (117.3 proof)
Notes:
- Aged 5+ years
- Distilled, aged and bottled at Green River Distilling Co., Owensboro, Kentucky
- 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley
- Matured in American oak barrels
Nose: 80/100
Vanilla, caramel, and ethanol lead. Butterscotch and a thick breadiness follow.
Palate: 82/100
Caramel and butterscotch are the stars here. Vanilla sits in the background. Just a touch of black pepper appears.
Finish: 78/100
Caramel and barrel char come to the fore. Vanilla lies beneath again. Warm, medium-length finish.
Overall: 81/100
Recommendation: Worth buying a pour.
Let me start by saying that I love high proof bourbon. This is a solid pour at a very attractive price. However, for a high proof bourbon, there is not a lot of complexity. With over 20% rye, I would have expected more of an influence. That being said, the butterscotch really drives the tasting and that keeps this bourbon as worthy of your attention. I do wish there was more vanilla, as a caramel-vanilla-butterscotch combo would be outstanding. The price is low enough that if you like high proof bourbon, this is worth taking a chance on.
What did we learn?
I learned a lot, mainly because I never had any Green River whiskey before. They are expanding their reach this summer, so you might get to see it more often. Given that they were purchased by Bardstown Bourbon Company just 2 years ago, I am wondering what influence the new parent company will have on their portfolio. Green River itself is still fairly young given its recent reintroduction, so this is definitely something to keep an eye on. A solid high-proof debut and some Bardstown Bourbon Company influence mean the future could be very interesting for Green River Distilling.
