Review: Green River Distillery Select Toasted Double Oak Bourbon

Bardstown Bourbon Co. has had no shortage of success with their newish Distillery Reserve Series, a collection of consistently impressive and unique whiskeys available exclusively to distillery visitors and members of their whiskey club, The Reserve. Now, their sister distillery in Owensboro, Green River, is getting in on the action with its own exclusive series dubbed Distillery Select.

While Bardstown’s Distillery Reserve Series tends to focus on exotic finishes and blends containing double digit age statement whiskeys, the new Distillery Select Series will reportedly “celebrate straightforward innovations,” meaning more traditional offerings with more modest age statements that will showcase different proofs, classic finishes, and specific rickhouse selections. The price point is also more accessible, coming in at half the cost of Bardstown’s offerings.

That’s not to say these aren’t special whiskeys, as is clear with this debut release. To kick things off, Green River is bottling their oldest bourbon to date, an eight-year-old made from their flagship mashbill of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley. Just thirteen barrels were chosen for the release, each finished for six months in a light char, medium toast new American oak barrel coopered by Independent Stave Company. Thoughts follow.

Green River Distillery Select Toasted Double Oak Bourbon Review

The nose is a bit soft at first, but given time to bloom, it delivers a rich bouquet that’s impressively dynamic. Early notes of Demerara sugar and cocoa powder are light and airy yet suggestive of the darker, richer sweetness to come. Undertones of baked apples and caramelized peach cobbler arrive in short order, adding a fruity depth. As things bloom even further, the fruit gives way to light roast coffee bean, maple candies, and sweet sawdust, all laced with cinnamon syrup. It’s a pleasure just to nose.

On the palate, things are well-spiced right out of the gate with bold notes of black pepper, burnt sugar, clove syrup, and tart black cherry that simmer with a hugging, chili pepper warmth across the sip. The flavors are wood driven to be sure, but they never come across astringent or over-oaked. In fact, this is one of the more balanced double oak expressions I’ve tasted. What few tannins present initially soften completely into the midpalate amid additional notes of Belgian chocolate, dark caramel, split vanilla bean, and a slightly smoky hint of charred marshmallow. The finish is rich and silky, with warm notes of baking spice and chocolate-covered caramels.

This debut Distillery Select release from Green River almost rivals some of the pricier and more exotic distillery-only whiskeys from Bardstown. There’s no club (yet) for these rare whiskeys, so you’ll have to get to Owensboro or Green River’s tasting room in Louisville to sample for yourself.

115.1 proof.

A- / $50

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