Green River Bourbon Whiskey: The Ultimate Bottle Guide

There are tons of different types of whiskey out there. As for bourbon, it's a type of whiskey that can only be made in America, and dates back all the way to the 18th century. There are many types of bourbon, but at the core, it must made in a brand new oak barrel, in America, derived from at least 51% corn mash, and bottled at 80-proof or more. Many people tend to opt for bourbon, other than say scotch or Japanese whiskeys, because it tends to be incredibly smooth and easy to drink.

There are tons of bourbon distilleries around the country, especially in Kentucky. Green River bourbon whiskey comes from one of the oldest distilleries ever licensed in Kentucky — Green River Distillery, which dates back 1885. Green River offers five different types of whiskey — but today, we want to focus on its Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey.

Attending whiskey tastings is one of my favorite things to do — from Ireland, Scotland, Kentucky, and Louisiana, it's always an enriching experience. So much more goes into the process of making the spirit, the aspects of tasting it, and in the case of Green River, understanding the storied history as well. 

Back in 1885, the Green River Distillery was the 10th oldest distillery to be licensed in Kentucky. It quickly became known to make great whiskey — winning many awards and even becoming the official (medicinal) whiskey for the U.S. Marine Hospital in 1913. The whiskey being made at the distillery was known to be incredibly high quality, and was even advertised as "the whiskey without a headache" in the early 1900s. 

Unfortunately, due to issues after a fire and recovering from prohibition, the distillery had to close in 1955. It wasn't until the year 2016 that the distillery officially reopened, and by 2022, its Green River bourbon whiskey bottle was finally being sold. This was the first bottle that was seen from Green River in over 60 years. Many people across the country were incredibly excited when the bourbon was finally released, however it wasn't immediately available for sale across the country. At first, it was available in limited quantities at the distillery itself in Kentucky, and then it expanded to Tennessee, Missouri, Indiana, and Florida at select retailers.

The release of this whiskey was a hit, with many people commenting on its Instagram account to release the bourbon in more states. By the end of the year, the bourbon will be availablein 32 markets, as well as Australia. In the next few years, Green River is hoping to sell its whiskey nationwide.

Making bourbon is no easy feat. Green River distillery has its method down to a science, and it's quite the process. It first obtains corn that is sourced from local farmers around Kentucky. The grain is then cooked in stainless steel cookers, or mash tubs, for about two and a half hours. The next step is fermentation, which takes between 72 to 120 hours. In that process, yeast is added to the corn and is fermented until it reaches an eight percent alcohol level. The mash then gets double distilled — first in Green River's custom made vendome still, then in the copper doubler. The final process is aging, which takes about four years. The aging is done in new charred white oak barrels, and once it's finished, you have the Green River bourbon whiskey!

Green River has six rick-houses, which are used to store the barrels as they age. Something unique that this distillery has is clay tile rick-houses. These are beneficial because they hold both cold and hot air very well — allowing them to reach extreme temperatures which is perfect for making bourbon, because air actually affects bourbon immensely. The warm air helps to push the bourbon into the pores of the barrel wood, while the cold pushes it back out. That effect helps to give the bourbon its distinctive caramel colors and full flavors.

Green River bourbon whiskey is described to have a well-rounded flavor. The website lists tastes of vanilla, caramel, chocolate-coated peppermints, and warming spice. I began my taste test as one always should, with the nose. I immediately noticed the chocolate-coated peppermints — it's not extremely strong, but you can tell it's there. I could also smell a tad of vanilla, and a touch of leather.

Then, I took a small sip and let it sit on my tongue for a few seconds in order to get the full flavor. At first taste, it was like being greeted with a warm hug. The spices are strong but luscious, and it goes down surprisingly smooth. The bourbon has a touch of sweetness, and it balances out nicely with the spice. As for specific flavors, I got a hint of cherry, chocolate, and cinnamon. The finish was my favorite part. It lingers slightly, leaving a bit of a creamy vanilla sensation on the tongue. Even though the bourbon is 90 proof, it doesn't seem like it at all with how mellow the finish is.

I repeated the same tasting technique with a bit of ice in the cup, and then created a cocktail with the bourbon as well. These other forms of tasting allowed me to see how else the bourbon can be enjoyed.

I can confidently say that Green River bourbon is incredibly versatile. I initially tasted the bourbon neat, and thoroughly enjoyed that experience. It's a great sipping bourbon especially because of the clean finish. I then tasted it on the rocks, a slightly different experience. With the ice in the mixture, I could actually get more of the vanilla flavors in the bourbon. The finish isn't as smooth with the ice, but it's still enjoyable.

Now, if you're a lover of having bourbon cocktails, I highly recommend using Green River bourbon whiskey. For my taste test, I made a simple apple cider cocktail using a fresh apple cider, a rim of brown sugar, and Green River bourbon. It was absolutely to die for. The cherry, cinnamon, and chocolate notes from the bourbon melted perfectly with the cider, and I barely could barely sense any alcohol burn — just the slightest amount, which is perfect.

There have been other bourbons that I've tried to make an apple cider cocktail with, and instead of melting nicely with the flavor palette, it stood out a little too much. I think that any cocktail that has a sweetness from honey, cinnamon, or nutmeg would be a great choice for this bourbon.

In New York City, I was able to find a bottle of Green River bourbon whiskey fairly easily. It was priced at $37.98 at my local liquor store for a 750 milliliter bottle. In the world of bourbon, this is priced fairly in the middle. Some of the cheaper bourbons out there cost around $20-25, like Jim Beam, Old Forester, and Wild Turkey. Green River bourbon whiskey fits in the price range along with Bulleit Rye and Maker's Mark. There are other bourbons that go for hundreds to thousands of dollars, but if we're just talking your average liquor store bourbon, there are many bottles that go for between $70-$100, like Baker's Bourbon or Willett Pot. Green River Bourbon falls into a relatively low price range in comparison to all of the other options — and the fact that it's a high quality bourbon makes it even better.

Funnily enough, Green River Bourbon was once known to be the most expensive bourbon to ever be sold. This was back in 1917, when 20 barrels of Green River bourbon whiskey were traded for interest in a Colorado gold mine. The well-revered whiskey was seen as a hot commodity back then, but luckily today, we can enjoy the bourbon for an affordable price.

Considering that this bottle of bourbon was Green River's first bottle to be sold in over 60 years, the company wanted to make sure that the bottle was designed in a special way. The brand was ultimately revitalized in its comeback in 2016, and the 2022 release of the bottle had to mirror that, while still paying homage to where it came from.

On the very top of the bottle, there is an ornate, green tax strip. The strip features the brand's original logo, "Whiskey Without Regrets", which was coined back in the mid 1900's. There's a photo of the green river on the top, which is where the distillery is located. The top of the bottle has "Owensboro, KY" engraved with a horseshoe underneath, also known as the Pride of Owensboro (the town that the distillery is in). Mirroring that emblem on the bottom of the bottle is an engraving that says "Est. 1885". 

The bottom of the bottle itself looks like it is sitting inside of a horseshoe, with the base shaped as such. Inside of the horseshoe is an engraved logo of "GR", which was the original logo back in 1885. There are ribbed edges on the top of the bottle, which are a reflection of an effect that was on the original bottle. These features help keep the history of the original bourbon alive, while adding a new and modern label to the front.

Green River Distillery isn't just focussed on making its own product great. It also focuses on how it can help the community that it resides in. Sustainability is something that many large companies around the world have shifted energy into. For Green River Distillery, it doesn't want to let anything go to waste.

To make bourbon, a lot of corn is needed. And by a lot, we mean 900,000 bushels of corn per year. Green River sources the corn from Kentucky farmers, keeping everything local, and then, the corn is given back. Now, you're probably thinking, why would anyone want mushy corn? After the bourbon is distilled, what's left is stillage, which is basically corn and water. It ends up being a great nutrient for both cows, chickens, turkeys, and other cattle. Green River gives the stillage away to local farmers that are able to come pick up the stillage themselves. It also pays a third party company which helps deliver the stillage to farmers a bit further away.

This is a solid step towards sustainability in the whiskey industry, and it helps create zero waste. In addition, Green River Distillery uses solar panels for energy, and has a special wildflower habitat which helps aid the health of wildlife and bees.

In its hay-day, Green River took the Kentucky whiskey world by storm, winning many awards in the process. At the Paris Exposition in 1900 (a world fair that was held in Paris), it won Best of Show along with a gold medal. A few years later, in 1905, it won the Grand Prize at the Liege Exposition, which was a world fair held in Belgium.

The distillery was closed for over 60 years after prohibition, and when the company came back, it came back with a roar. At the International Wine & Spirit Competition, Green River won the highest distinction possible: Worldwide Producer of the Year. In 2024, Green River bourbon whiskey won a gold medal, scoring 93 points, for the Bartender Spirits Awards. And most recently, in 2024, Green River won both a gold and platinum award at the American Spirits Council of Tasters (ASCOT) Awards. All of these distinctions prove that Green River came back strong, and the amount of care and attention that was put into reviving and re-branding this iconic company has been monumental.