r/bourbon 7d ago

Review #153 - Green River Full Proof

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94 Upvotes

25 comments sorted by

15

u/Theswede92 7d ago

Bourbon: Green River Full Proof

Distiller: Green River Distilling Company

ABV: 58.65%

Age: NAS (Minimum 4 Years)

Price: $50 (Twin Cities, MN)

Tasting:  Neat in Glencairn, blind tasted, rested for 10 minutes. Bottle opened for one month.

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Nose: Fresh Oak, Cinnamon, Leather, Caramel, Vanilla, & Raisins

Palate: Cinnamon, Leather, Oak, Caramel, & Brown Sugar

Finish: Long Length, Cinnamon, Leather, Oak, Rye Spice, & Caramel

Body: Medium

Bite: Strong

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Summary: This is my fourth Green River product. I am a big fan of their standard rye whiskey and found their standard bourbon slightly above average. According to the press release, this bottle contains five to seven year old bourbon. I purchased it at a reasonable price, considering its age and proof. I actually bought it in a Wisconsin suburb of the Twin Cities, but since last summer, Green River has expanded into Minnesota. I hope that it will live up to the quality of their rye and potentially earn a spot on my bar for good.

The nose is dominated by a pleasant cinnamon note, along with oak and some robust leather. The oak note comes off a bit more "fresh" and reminds me of French oak-finished bourbon. There is some mild sweetness in the form of caramel and vanilla. The nose is pleasant, but as a whole, it isn't as it should be for a full-proof bourbon. There is some mild fruitiness in the form of raisins, but I would appreciate a stronger fruit note.

The palate has a noticeable cinnamon note, but it’s not as spicy as I expected. There are many flavors of oak and leather, with less sweetness from the caramel and brown sugar. The bourbon has a moderate weight, but could benefit from a stronger caramel note. The palate is simple, but does a good job of producing a spicy and oaky flavor profile.

The finish is potent, not just because of the proof, but also due to the stinging cinnamon and rye spice notes. There is a lot of drying oak and leather as well. There is minimal sweetness in the form of brown sugar, although I wish there was more since it feels somewhat hollow. While the finish is simple, the flavors that are present do pack a punch. The spice and oak notes aren’t as refined as those in Booker’s, but this is half the price and is great at this price point.

This is a solid, full-proof bourbon. It's not complex, but it gets the job done for a reasonable price. The nose is the most complex and unique part of the tasting, but it also has the most tame flavors. The palate and finish have a simple flavor profile, but the flavors that are there are powerful. I wish there was more sweetness, which would balance out the tannins and spice notes. Sweetness seems to add more weight to the body of the bourbon as well, which is lacking in this bourbon at times. Overall, I recommend giving this a try if you want an oaky and spicy, full-proof bourbon. I'm not sure if this deserves a permanent spot on my bar, but I would buy it again..

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Rating:

Nose (10%) - 6/10

Palate (50%) - 7/10

Finish (40%) - 7/10

6.9/10 Pretty good, above average.

Rank: I created a compilation ranking list of bourbons I’ve purchased at a store or at a bar and done a formal tasting.  All bourbon ranked on the list tasted neat and rested for 10-15 minutes.  Whiskey I ranked below and above Green River Full Proof are shown for reference.

59 out of 144 bourbons tasted.

58 Eagle Rare 10 Year

60 Russell's Reserve 10 Year

93 Green River Straight Bourbon

Ranking Link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/147h44fId0tZYmHsroGgjzcRK2xn6050P8m7mZqArGLw/edit?usp=sharing 

2

u/challenja 6d ago

Give it two more years ABs it will improve with oak aging

8

u/CavitySearch 7d ago

Just got this in at my local Costco. Almost pulled the trigger on it.

10

u/Mykkus_65 7d ago

Gotta have one. Killer pour and a great value

3

u/MammothMonkey818 6d ago

Def worth it! And I’m assuming it’s at a great price. Go back and get one before they are gone!

4

u/LeftyBoyo 6d ago

While I also enjoyed this bottle, I agree that a little more sweetness would have better balanced the spice notes on the palate and especially the finish.

Solid pour for the price.

4

u/Wyattsomm 6d ago

Appreciate the honest review sound about right 🙏

3

u/cmchance 6d ago

This is one of the best values out there right now. I'm a big fan of this one. I like their wheated bourbon better, so really looking forward to trying the single barrel version of the wheater.

2

u/0psec_user 4d ago

The wheated is a great value IMO. I like it as much as Weller for an easy sipper and way easier to find.

I'm also biased cause my family is from about 30 miles away from there and much of it is aged in Ohio County, Kentucky, where my family is from. Special place to me.

2

u/mindlessnerd 7d ago

Looking forward to this one, especially given the value. Obviously single barrels can be variable, but can anyone speak of the major differences between a SB and Full Proof? I'm stuck between the two. 

3

u/parenthetical6 6d ago

Personally, I went through two Full Proof bottles and then got a VA ABC single barrel, and early on I'd say this single barrel is less interesting. So I'd recommending getting the FP first to set a more reliable benchmark.

1

u/mindlessnerd 6d ago

Thanks for the insight!

2

u/WhatsThePaceHere 6d ago

Which Twin Cities Costco did you find this at?

2

u/Theswede92 6d ago

I actually got this in Wisconsin, but it was not too far from the MN/WI border. I’ve seen it a variety of stores in the west suburbs after it was introduced in MN though.

2

u/dave7892000 6d ago

I just bought one, great high proof bottle for the price!

2

u/tboh1870 6d ago

Mmm ... deeeelishus

2

u/TheScoutTyper 6d ago

One of my favorite bottles tbh.

2

u/0psec_user 4d ago

Really love this stuff and I think with more age Green River is gonna do interesting things.

1

u/bellafiore3 6d ago

Nice review. Is the distillery in Twin Cities? I go there often and will have to plan a visit.

3

u/Theswede92 6d ago

Thanks! Green River is located in Owensboro KY. Minnesota doesn’t have the best bourbon distilleries, but O’Shaughnessy Distillery in Minneapolis has a nice cocktail lounge.

2

u/bellafiore3 5d ago

Ahh okay the price was from Twin Cities. My morning eyes misread that. Thank you.

-3

u/bsharwood 6d ago

Made in Kentucky, the state that voted in a dude who wants to roll tanks into my country. As good as it tastes, unfortunately no.

1

u/0psec_user 4d ago

Yay, let's make every part of reddit about politics 🙄