Green River Distilling in Owensboro, Kentucky is what some would call a revival of an older brand and distillery. But they are doing more than resurrecting a brand and a facility; they are using potstills to distill their whiskies. While the type of still used in making whiskey matters a lot more in scotch or Irish distilling and less so for bourbon in my opinion, it still matters. When it was first reopened it was known as O.Z. Tyler but reverted back to its historical name, Green River. I have tried their whiskey before, namely a Blue Note Hokus store pick and Hotel Tango. Green River Full Proof is a blend of 5, 6, and 7 year old bourbon bottled at barrel strength, with their standard mashbill of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley. The proof on this bottle is 117.3. At $50, the price is definitely right, so long as the flavors are ok.

The color on this is a nice solid amber; about right for its age. A swirl leaves a really oily film that slowly forms gravity defying legs. The nose is pretty traditional bourbon, with lots of caramel and vanilla, and baked cherry pie. On the palate, this is a very old school bourbon, with lots of vanilla, some cherry notes, cardamom, clove, graham crackers, citrus fruits, and honey. On the finish, there is vanilla, heavy oak tannin, and English pipe tobacco. The mouthfeel on this is very creamy and medium full bodied, but this bourbon is a little bit punchy on the alcohol burn. I have had higher proof bourbons that are much smoother than this, but they all cost a lot more than this bottle.

Overall, my impression is that this is a solid pour, with well balanced flavors, that could use a little help in the smoothness department. However, after a little air for twenty four hours it definitely got more smooth, along with some mint on the finish. This is going to be a regular on my bar given the quality and the price point.