The Green River Distillery is located in Owensboro, Kentucky. The distillery and brand date back to the late 19th century. The brand was the most heavily advertised brand in its early days. They had the slogan “The whiskey without a headache” but they were forced to change it to the “Whiskey without regrets” after repeal due to the new standards set by the distilleries themselves. They also used the advertising of an elderly African-American man and a mule loaded down with jugs of Green River Whiskey with the slogan “She was bred in old Kentucky.” They issued many advertising pieces with this image and also coins that could be found in antique stores everywhere before the Bourbon boom had people purchasing such items in record number. There are replica pieces still in the market.
This Bourbon is the latest expression of the brand by the new owners. The brand and the distillery have been purchased by Bardstown Bourbon Company, but the whiskey is still made at the Owensboro distillery. I recently had a bottle sent to me and Matt and I sat down and tasted it. Here are our tasting notes.
Green River Wheat Recipe Bourbon
Proof: 90
Age: No Age Statement
Nose:
- Mike: Brown sugar, honeysuckle, pears and oak wood.
- Matt: Brown sugar, honeysuckle, fig jam, and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Brown sugar, pears, white pepper and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the pear fruit is enhanced and the pepper is reduced. Tasted with a pecan and the oak wood is enhanced and a milk chocolate note comes out.
- Matt: Brown sugar, honey wheat bread, sweet orange and oak wood. The dried cranberry brought out honey and caramel with burnt orange notes. The pecan brought out notes of caramel, peanut, cherry wood and oak.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak, pepper and lingering brown sugar. The dried cranberry brought out lingering pear fruit with oak and pepper. The pecan made the finish very long with oak, pepper and lingering milk chocolate.
- Matt: Medium long with oak and lingering caramel. The dried cranberry added lingering orange notes. The pecan made the finish very long with cherry wood, caramel, oak and leather.
I would pair this Bourbon with a cigar that has a lot of caramel and vanilla in the smoke. I would reach for a RomaCraft Neanderthal cigar.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller