| Whiskey | Green River Bourbon |
| Distillery | Green River Distilling Company |
| Region | Owensboro, Kentucky |
| Type | Bourbon |
| Mash Bill | 70% Corn, 21% Rye, 9% Malted Barley |
| Proof / ABV | 90 Proof / 45% ABV |
| Aging | 5+ years in new American Oak Barrels |
| Filtration | Non-Chill Filtered |
| MSRP | $32 |
| Release Year | 2025 |
Green River Bourbon Tasting Notes
Appearance: Golden Honey
Nose: Honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, rye grain, anise seed, vanilla, toasted oak, light notes of rye spice and pepper
Palate: Sweet honey, toffee, caramel, rye grain, baking spice, vanilla, toasted oak, anise seed, clove, tobacco, light pepper
Finish: Smooth easy finish with very little heat – leaves you with a nice honey sweetness and rye spice pepper on the tail end
Green River Distillery History
Before purchasing this bottle, I did not know much about Green River whiskey or their distillery.
After researching some information for this review, I learned that Green River Distillery was founded in 1885 in Owensboro, Kentucky by J.W. McCulloch who branded his whiskey as “The Whiskey Without Regrets”.
It became one of the most recognized whiskey brands in America but in 1918, a fire destroyed much of the distillery including millions of gallons of whiskey.
Soon after, Prohibition forced the brand out of production.
In 2022, Green River Whiskey was officially relaunched as a heritage brand and is now owned by Bardstown Bourbon Company.
On the bottle is DSP-KY-10 which highlights that the distillery is the 10th oldest in Kentucky and is still operating on its original site.
I’m not 100% sure how much research was done into the original recipes of the 1800’s, but the relaunch has certainly discovered themselves with this rye-forward bourbon mash bill.
Is Green River Bourbon an Approachable Whiskey?
Green River Bourbon is a very approachable whiskey.
It has a ton of sweetness to it which shines through as a honey, brown sugar, and caramel note that is quite enjoyable.
It also has a nice level of rye grain and spice to it that is quite enjoyable.
The finish is extremely smooth and easy but still packs quite a bit of flavor.
I think this is a whiskey that most anyone would enjoy, especially for the price.
Is Green River Bourbon Complex?
Green River Bourbon is much more complex than I expected since it is only a $32 bottle.
It starts out with a whole ton of sweet honey, caramel, and brown sugar notes that let you know it’s a bourbon right out of the gate.
Behind the bourbon sweetness, the rye grain in the mash bill really shines through and gives you a nice rye grain note but also some light rye spice and pepper.
The finish is very smooth and has nearly no heat which is quite nice since it is 45% ABV rather than your base 40%.
What are Green River Bourbon’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Green River Bourbon’s strongest attribute would be how smooth the whiskey is for a cheap price point.
At the $30-35 price point, it’s not always easy to find a whiskey that is smooth and easy to drink while also offering a nice level of depth and complexity of flavor.
Green River Bourbon does that and is quite a nice buy for a cheap price.
Is Green River Bourbon a go-to whiskey?
Green River Bourbon could easily be a go-to whiskey.
It is quite affordable, is very easy to drink, and has a nice level of flavors to it that keep you wanting to drink more.
Often times I buy a bottle of whiskey to review, pour my 1-2 ounces for the review and then move on and don’t come back to the bottle for quite a while.
Interestingly enough, I bought my first bottle of Green River about 6 months ago fully intending to review the bottle, but instead I just cracked it open and enjoyed 3-4 ounces the first night I tasted it.
I never got around to reviewing it back then and just this past week, I finished off the bottle and realized I had never actually reviewed it!
So I went out to the store and bought this brand new bottle to review and wanted to highlight that this bottle actually became a go-to whiskey for me for a while because it was just so easy to drink and I really enjoyed it.
Is Green River Bourbon priced accurately to its quality?
If you’re looking for an excellent bourbon at a very affordable price, Green River Bourbon definitely delivers on its price tag.
It offers the excellent sweet flavors of a bourbon while also having just enough rye spice and rye grain notes to keep your taste buds expecting more.
If you haven’t tried Green River Bourbon, do yourself a favor and buy it if you see it on the shelf (especially if you like rye whiskey).
Conclusion for Green River Bourbon
Green River Bourbon was quite a surprise for me.
At $30, I wasn’t sure how good it would be, but I was pleasantly impressed.
The highlight of this bottle for me is the rye spice and rye grain notes that really shine through the bourbon sweetness.
It’s a delicate balance that is just enjoyable to drink on any occasion.
This is a bottle that you will pour one drink, then another, and before you know it, the bottle is half empty… a true sign of a good whiskey.
0 Comments