Distillery: Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery
Proof: 107.8
Age: No Age Statement
Mashbill: Blend of “well-aged” high rye bourbons
Price: ~$60
Company
Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery is located in Nashville, TN, and also makes products like Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey, Belle Meade (their most popular brand), and Louisa’s Liqueur.
Production
This is a blend made from bourbon sourced from Tennessee, Indiana, and Kentucky. According to their site, they pick the “choicest lots of well-aged bourbon” for Nelson Bros. Reserve.
Nelson Bros. Reserve Review: Flavor Profile
Nose – 4.75/5
One of the more unique noses you’ll come across. Sweet brown sugar, butterscotch, and butter. Smells almost like a caramel pie and makes you incredibly intrigued to see what it’ll taste like.
Palate – 3.75/5
The brown sugar and caramel from the nose come through to the palate with some heavier oak than expected. A slight letdown from the incredible nose, but still rich and complex.
Finish – 4/5
Medium-length finish with notes of oak and butterscotch. Rye comes surging through here where it was basically invisible before. I was curious to see where the rye went until this point because it’s a “high rye” blend.
Value – 3.5/5
Nelson Bros. Reserve is a dynamic and interesting pour. I’m not sure I’ve ever had anything quite like it. The closest thing is Chattanooga 91, which is a high-malt bourbon.
At $60, I think most people will skip this bourbon, and that’s reasonable. It’s unique and clearly high quality, but it’s a bit too out there for most people. It’s hard to think Nelson Bros Reserve could beat out the likes of Makers 46 or Baker’s for a similar price point.
Nelson Bros. Reserve Review…The Verdict
Verdict – 4/5
We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.
Scoring System:
- Platinum – 4.5 – 5
- Gold – 4 – 4.5
- Silver – 3 – 4
- Bronze – <3
Hunter Branch is the Founder and Director of Editorial for Bourbon Inspector. He has been writing about and professionally reviewing bourbon since 2020 (and has been drinking it for much longer). He’s been able to interview big names in the bourbon industry like Trey Zoeller from Jefferson’s Bourbon and his work has been featured in publications like TastingTable, Mashed, and more.