GreenRiverFullProof

August 2024 Farmer & Frenchman Green River Dinner Pairing

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August 2, 2024
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer

As you might have gleaned through other articles, Wayne and I thoroughly enjoy Green River – their spirits, distillery, and most importantly, their people. Therefore, when we learned of their dinner pairing event with Farmer & Frenchman (a place we have wanted to visit), we immediately got tickets for the August 1st event.

We arrived in Robards, KY and were immediately taken by the beauty of the surroundings. There were lovely buildings, little cabins, grape vines, and green for miles.

We had to get a few pictures before the event began!

When we checked in, we were escorted to a private table. In itself, this was different as we are accustomed to such events being at shared tables.

The dining was somewhat divided – the more formal area with chandeliers and white tablecloths and the enclosed patio section where we were seated.

Four Pours of Green River

Our cocktail and three neat pours of Green River.

Four Course Meal

The first two courses were seafood based and that meant that Wayne got double helpings. He enjoyed each offering but felt the Creole Caponata was his favorite of the two.

Description – Creole Caponata: Crawfish, sweet and sour peppers, roasted eggplant, and creole spices on toast. Served with Gold Rush Cocktail with Green River Wheated Bourbon.

Creole Caponata
Fried Scallops

Description – Fried Scallops: Deep fried scallop pieces, grilled polenta, and green tomato chutney. Served with Green River Bourbon 90 proof.

The Waygu Lasagna was mind blowing. Your palate is expecting a traditional lasagna but this was so rich and with amazing depth.

Description – Wagyu Lasagna: Smoked and braised wagyu beef shank ragu, tomato and red wine sauce, bechamel, and smoked mozzarella. Served with Green River Rye.

Wagyu Lasagna
Cherry Covered Chocolate

The dessert might have been my favorite bite of the evening. Such an explosion of flavors that worked amazingly well together. Wow!

Description – Cherry Covered Chocolate: Triple chocolate marscapone cheesecake with a warm cherry gastrique. Served with Green River Full Proof Bourbon 117 Proof.

The evening was wrapping up and it was time to say our goodbyes. It was well worth the drive and it has also encouraged us to return to the Farmer & Frenchman for a longer stay.

But before leaving, we had to get a picture with friends – Caryn, Renee, and Aaron!!!

Rebecca, Caryn, Renee, Aaron, and Wayne

Cheers until next time!
Rebecca & Wayne

June 2024 Green River Full Proof Tasting

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June 9, 2024
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer

Green River – The Whiskey Without Regrets!

For this tasting, Wayne and I tasted the latest release from Green River Distilling – their Kentucky Straight Full Proof Bourbon. We purchased this bottle when we attended their Full Proof Release Event on June 7, 2024.

For the release event, we received a gift bag that included a bottle of Green River Full Proof in commemorative packaging and one of their newly redesigned Glencairn glasses, which is really beautiful.

Time to open the box for the surprise!

From Green River’s Press Release: Green River Full Proof is a blend of five-to-seven-year barrels selected from curated areas of Green River’s Owensboro tile warehouses and feature the same mash bill as Green River Kentucky Straight Bourbon. These original tile warehouses maintain both warm and cool temperatures, yielding unique proof variation and liquid maturation. The result is a pure expression offering a robust flavor profile which preserves the barrel character while bringing massive flavor to the palate.

Please be sure to read our approach to Tasting Whiskey if you haven’t already. 

Green River Kentucky Straight Full Proof Bourbon


Mashbill – 70% Corn, 21% Rye, and 9% Malted Barley
Age – A blend of 5-, 6-, and 7-year-old barrels
Proof – 117.3
Price Paid – $49.99
Other – One of the coolest bottles around with the horseshoe base as a throwback to their historical DSP-KY-10

Color – Dark Golden Amber

Aroma – Caramel, vanilla, citrus, honeysuckle, cherry, light mint, baking spices.

Tasted Neat – The warmth of backing spices and like the nose, there is vanilla, citrus, honeysuckle, caramel, and dried cherry. On a second sip, cocoa and mint appear. The finish is lingering with more spicy notes of black pepper and cinnamon, a hint of fruit, and the barrel char is noticeable.

Tasted with dried cranberry –  Light and bright. The citrus is more prominent and it is less spicy but still a finish of cinnamon.

Tasted with a pecan – A bit more woody and somewhat hot but not with a distinct spice. The citrus and other great notes seem to be gone.

Tasted with dark chocolate – That is really good. The light cocoa from the neat taste is coming through with more chocolate and the rye mint flavors. The finish remains very nice and oaky with the dark chocolate as well.

Discussion and Final Notes


This is a really good full proof. At 117.3 it is pretty easy to drink after the first acclimation sip. It has a wonderful range of flavors with a terrific body and mouthfeel. The blending of this was masterful as is evident from such a balanced taste profile.

Value – all day long! This is a 5-7-year blended full proof bourbon for under $50. It is very elegant and highly enjoyable. We might want to try this head-to-head with other full proofs / barrel strengths of a similar proof. This is not allocated and should be widely available.

We highly recommend trying this Green River Full Proof. For the price point, we plan to always have a “back up” on hand as well. This could easily become one of our regular pours.

Cheers,
Rebecca & Wayne

Photos by Rebecca Herman McBrayer

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Requirements

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Such whiskeys have all the requirements of bourbon: Made in the U.S, distilled at <= 160 proof, barreled at <= 125 proof, aged in new, charred oak containers, bottled at >= 80 proof.

Straight bourbon means it is aged at least 2 years (and must have an age statement if less than 4). In addition, to be Kentucky Straight Bourbon, it has the additional requirement that it must be produced and aged at least 1 year in the state of Kentucky.

For additional information on bourbon requirements, please read this post – Bourbon Whiskey.

NOTE: The bourbon in this review was purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly.

Green River Full Proof Bourbon Release Event

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By Rebecca Herman McBrayer

June 7, 2024, Wayne and I ventured to Owensboro, KY to partake in Green River Distillery’s launch of their full proof bourbon.  We had secured a VIP Tour and arrived early to take in the festivities.

While awaiting the start of our tour, we had a pour of the full proof. The perfect way to set the stage for the remainder of the event.

VIP History and Distillery Tour


We a VIP tour with none other than the amazing National Brand Ambassador, Caryn Wells. We started in the room that holds so much of the history of Green River Distilling. Each time the story is told, we learn and/or remember a new detail. I decided to get pictures of the timeline barrels to help me remember. The artifacts that they have collected and displayed are top notch.

History notes from the barrel heads –

1885: Green River Distillery is founded by JW McCulloch. DSP-KY-10 is the 10th oldest Licensed distillery in the state and becomes home to McCulloch’s famous whiskey.

1886-1889: Green River Whiskey is known far and wide, thanks to its quality and JW McCulloch’s innovative marketing approach. Advertising for the brand includes the slogan “The Whiskey without a Headache,” later becoming “The Whiskey Without Regrets.” Known as the “most expensive spirit ever sold,” 20 barrels were once traded for interest in a Colorado gold mine. Green River becomes the official whiskey of the US Marine Hospital in 1910.

1900-1906: Green River wins many awards, including a gold medal and “best of show” at the Paris Exposition in 1900, and later a grand prize at the 1905 Leigh Exposition in Belgium. It also wins awards at expositions in St. Louis MO in 1904, Portland OR in 1905, and Milan Italy in 1906.

1906-1917: The city of Owensboro is an epicenter of bourbon production with more than 20 distilleries. Daviess County is home to several of the state’s largest and best distilleries.

1918: At the height of Green River’s popularity, a fire broke out on the distillery grounds. In just three hours, most of the buildings and whiskey barrels were reduced to rubble.

History notes from the barrel heads – (continued)

1920-1933: The distillery is rebuilt, but Prohibition is passed, and McCulloch wouldn’t live to restore Green River to its former glory. Almost all of Daviess County’s distilleries, including Green River, shut their doors, as Owensboro’s whiskey industry evaporates overnight.

1939-2007: A group of Medley family members band together to purchase and revive the distillery as the Medley Distilling Company. For the next 70 years, the Medley Family continues to carry on the tradition of distilling spirits at the location and maintains the registration of the distillery as DSP-KY-10.

Today – A Legacy Revived: In 2014, the Green River team finds the distillery with such a storied history in ruins. Brick by brick, building the building, they restore the 10th oldest distillery in the state. In 2016, they began distilling. History comes full circle in 2020 as Green River Distilling Co. is officially revived in its original home. With the support of John W. McCulloch’s great-grandson, the Green River flag is raised high on the distillery campus for the first time since Prohibition.

2022: Green River returns to its former glory. The revival marks the return of Owensboro’s rich bourbon legacy. The distillery remains registered as DSP-KY-10 and is a heritage member of the famed Kentucky Bourbon Trail, welcoming visitors from near and far.

We headed outdoors for a discussion about grain. Green River uses only non-GMO grain and receives more bushels a week than one can wrap their head around. Next we were off to the stillhouse. Caryn shared history as well as distilling facts with us along the way.  We got to drink the “high wine” off the still and it was fantastic.

Time for the Tasting in Rickhouse B

Rickhouse B

We then went to Rickhouse B where all the single barrels are selected. It was great that we were able to taste and compare their various offerings. We started with the Wheated, then their flagship Bourbon, followed by the Rye, and we finished with the Full Proof. We learned that the full proof is a blend of 5-, 6-, and 7-year-old barrels. In addition to the prepared pours of their line, we received samples of a bourbon single barrel thieved straight from the barrel. It was incredible!

We have been on many tours and experiences. Two of the most important factors of a GREAT one are the guide and your fellow enthusiasts. For this event, we hit the jackpot with Caryn as our guide and an amazing group of bourbon/Green River enthusiasts. It was like family and we had so much fun!

Commemorative Gift Bag for the Green River Full Proof Release

We each received a gift back with a bottle of Green River Full Proof and one of their newly redesigned Glencairn glasses, which is really beautiful.

See our Green River Full Proof tasting notes HERE!

Distillery Trail Statistics

Green River Distilling, in Owensboro, KY, is the closest distillery to us and one of our favorite places to visit. This was our 9th visit and our 127th distillery experience. Our first visit was November 13, 2021 where Caryn Wells led us through a guided tasting and discussion about this history of the distillery.

We had a truly wonderful evening and it was difficult to say goodbye. Wayne and I look forward to our next visit at Green River Distilling.

Rebecca, Caryn, & Wayne