Before I jump into this review of Green River Full Proof Bourbon, allow me to recap the ascendant trajectory of this company in the last couple of years, with some copy I wrote previously:
Green River is a revived distillery in Owensboro, Kentucky, housed in one of the oldest distilling facilities in the state. A decade ago, that facility was effectively a ruin, but it was bought by South Carolina-based Terressentia in 2016, who renovated it and brought it back to its original glory. At the time, it was rechristened as the O.Z. Tyler Distillery and immediately began contract distilling for others while they aged their own in-house bourbon. In 2020, the name changed to Green River Distilling Co., and they progressed to releasing their solid value of a flagship bourbon (5 years old, rye mashbill, 90 proof, about $35) under master distillery Jacob Call in 2022.
They then went through another transformation, as Green River Distilling Co. was acquired by nascent powerhouses Bardstown Bourbon Co. in June of 2022. The companies have been kept separate from one another, with no blending (as of yet) of their own proprietary recipes or distillate, although it’s not hard to imagine special releases combining the two in the future. What Green River has now done is expanded its product lineup under new master distiller Aaron Harris, formerly of Ohio’s Watershed Distillery.
And what Green River has arguably become known for, more than anything else, is offering really solid values at a time when so many Kentucky bourbon distilleries haven’t really made that a priority. Their flagship bottles offer a decent age statement at an attractive price point, and the new addition of Green River Full Proof Bourbon fills in another segment of the market that has been underserved: Budget-valued cask strength bourbon whiskey. This whiskey first launched to immediate acclaim a few months ago, but slipped beneath my radar as I worked on other projects. I’m just now circling back around to try it for the first time.
Green River Full Proof can boats a modest age statement, between 5-7 years according to the company’s press release. It features the same high rye mash bill as the flagship bourbon (70% corn, 21% rye, 9% malted barley), but weighs in at a significantly more robust 58.65% ABV (117.3 proof). The most eye-catching aspect is the $50 MSRP, a level of potential value that few other companies outside of the biggest players in the industry are even attempting to match right now. If this whiskey can measure up, it would immediately be in contention as one of the better pure values on the market. So with that said, let’s get right into tasting.
On the nose, this bottle is bright and inviting in nature. I’m getting something evocative of honey-roasted almonds and baked oak staves, with cinnamon and delicate mint that becomes increasingly prominent as it sits in the glass. Fruit presents in the form of apricot tart (and pastry), but also with dried cherry or cranberry. It’s overall more bright in profile than dark, with a combination of sweet and spice that gives it a sort of autumnal vibe. An occasional ethanol sting on the nose hints at the advanced proof point.
On the palate, this is again sweet but especially rye forward in nature. There’s lots of honey and mint here, with heavy rye spice and a slightly cooling menthol sensation. Caramel and honey combine to provide sweetness, buoyed by more of that cherry/cranberry type bright fruitiness, and supported by cinnamon spice and modest oak that is never a particularly assertive impression. It’s friendly enough on the palate, but then quickly settles into the chest with a pretty notable Kentucky hug. The biggest impression is arguably of spice, both in a peppery rye dimension and sweeter baking spice, but there’s also no shortage of caramelized sugars as well.
All in all, this is an undeniable crowd pleaser, deftly balancing elements of fruit, spice and sweetness in a package that is easy enough to approach, but full of character. At $50, it’s also an undeniably great value for the whiskey market as it exists today, one that can probably stand up against some of the heavy hitters from major Kentucky producers in the same price range. Green River continues to offer a distinctly high-value lineup that deserves quite a bit more credit.
Distillery: Green River Distilling Co.
City: Owensboro, KY
Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
ABV: 58.65% (117.3 proof)
Availability: 750 ml bottles, $50 MSRP
Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident beer and liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.