Veteran Whiskey Review: Nelson’s “Green Brier” Tennessee  Whiskey

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History – Before prohibition, Nelson’s Green Brier whiskey was the largest Tennessee whiskey in the world. The company started in 1860 and by 1885 the distillery was making over 2 million bottles a year. Prohibition would take hold in 1909. During the 21^st century the descendants of Charles Nelson resurrected the family recipe, how they had to go about it was interesting. They had to piece the recipe together piece by piece with news clips from the massive 4^th of July parties the family would throw.

Value – Not a bad grab for 30 bucks given that there are worse things for more.

Appearance – The whiskey is light copper in color. The bottle features a narrow base and widens at the top of the body. It has a medium-in-length neck with a cork for a cap. The label is creative and really makes the bottle pop.

Nose – Superb nose with a faint ethanol undertone at the start. The remaining notes in the fragrance are caramel, grain, and vanilla.

Palate – I’ll start with the taste and say that the flavor is too fleeting. Furthermore, it has positive characteristics like oak, caramel, and sugar that I can’t put my finger on.

Finish – There are no lingering flavors in the finish. Spice, wood, and even some honey quickly go away. Although a tad dry and short, the finish is fair.

Summary – In summary, this whiskey has a great nose and slacks in the palate and finish department. I can see this Green brier product is on the right track with this.

“For less than $40, this is a decent Tennessee whiskey. Particularly if you dread heat in the finish because it’s gone faster than a slick hog greased in oil.  I’ve been wanting to review this bottle for a while, but I just never got around to it. I’m glad I did.“

–Eric Watkins

Uniqueness- 1-10 – 5

Appearance- 1-10 – 6

Nose- 1-20 – 15

Palate- 1-20 – 10

Finish- 1-20 – 9

Value- 1-20 – 13