Green River US Army 250th Anniversary Bourbon Review

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It’s no secret that whiskey enthusiasts everywhere are being more selective with how they’re spending their money on new bottles. Long gone are the days that new releases would be snatched up instantly as long as the specs looked halfway good. Even I have found myself passing by bottles I’d normally freak out to see on the shelves. So when I had three different friends tell me over the past 3 months that they grabbed this bottle of bourbon on a whim, I started to take notice. What’s the appeal here?

Green River celebrates the 250th Anniversary of the US Army

Military themes and bourbon bottles go together like peas and carrots, but I’ve never personally cared for them. I always wonder what the catch is whenever profit and patriotism intersect. And before you come at me, just know that I’m a US Army combat veteran myself and I’ve always thought commercializing military service takes away some of the dignity of the profession.

Anyway, the CEO of Lofted Spirits (owner of Bardstown Bourbon Company and Green River) is also a US Army veteran and likely had a hand in the development/release of this product. The 250th Anniversary of the founding of the US Army occurred in June, 2025 and Green River was one of the largest distilleries to release a product themed to that occasion. They took out all the stops (short of designing a new bottle shape) by creating a unique label, using a new mash bill and bottling it at a fairly high proof. They also declared that this limited edition release would be sold around the US for the next 12 months.

Let’s talk about that new mash bill for a minute; most publications are saying Green River didn’t use the standard 70% corn, 21% rye, 9% malted barley recipe that they’ve been known for. Instead, this one is supposed to be 75/15/10. I found that interesting because that’s the exact percentages that have been circulating around the sourced bourbon barrel market for almost two decades now. We’ve seen it as early as 2009 when it was a component in High West’s first-ever Bourye. It’s been linked to both Barton (many websites claim it was the mash bill of Very Old Barton) and Heaven Hill (which was made to sell to other producers). I even found out that Bardstown Bourbon Company has been making it for both themselves and possibly other buyers.

But this mash bill is made by Green River because it says so on the back of the label. What’s interesting is that Green River’s formula for making their bourbon in the past involved using two different bourbons with the same mash bill but different yeast strains – then blending them to create the final product. No word yet on if this is how they did this bourbon, but I believe it’s the result of just a single yeast strain.

The bourbon inside of this bottle is said to be a blend of 4-7 year old barrels. What this tells us is that the unique mash bill is not just a one-off bourbon that’s never coming back – if they’ve been distilling it over 3 to 4 years that means there’s probably more of it stocked away in their warehouses. That also means if you like what’s in the bottle, chances are it’s going to end up in another product in their future.

The 111.1 proof point this is bottled at is symbolic of Veteran’s Day (November 11th). I think that was a nifty sort of throwback. All of these stats come together for a bottle that is still priced right around $50 – a steal compared to other similar bourbons out there today. So how does it taste? Thanks to my neighbor Benji, I get to find out. I sampled this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: A sweet and somewhat basic bourbon nose comprimsed of baking spices, heavy caramel and vanilla notes. I also smell what comes off as pancakes with syrup and a bit of aromatic complexity from a cup of Chai Tea. Nothing to complain about here except the lack of some fruit.

Palate: At first sip, I’m finding this to be much more spicy than I was expecting! Flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice combine to give nice depth, but also provide some heat. There’s also the perfect amount of sweetness. Halfway through the session, I’m realizing just how oily the mouthfeel is. I love whiskies that have that. Sweetness abounds with cinnamon rolls and caramel. If I’m getting any fruit at all, it’s probably “cooked apple” or the kind of apple flavor you’d find in a fritter. Still, it’s sweet and fairly complex but is missing some of the tannic notes you’d typically want from a bourbon. I’m not saying there are none, but they blend in with the tapestry.

Finish: Baking spices steal the show on the finish – just kidding because that’s been a general theme this entire dram. After that, it’s all sweet oak, caramel and Nutter Butters. Pleasant!

Score: 7.5/10

This bottle is technically competent all around. As for it’s flavor, I gotta say that I’m a fan. But the one thing I couldn’t help but think of while tasting it is how it doesn’t do much to stand out from other bourbons in this category. It’s kind of generic tasting – like a cross between a Heaven Hill product and Barton (which is funny based on how I previously mentioned those two had a history of distilling this same mash bill) which isn’t a bad thing at all. But if you were searching for something groundbreaking, you could do better.

Final Thoughts

But the main reason you should buy this is because of the price. Other bottles in its price category often offer less proof – think Heaven Hill BiB, Four Roses Single Barrel or EH Taylor Small Batch. That makes it an attractive bottle when you see it on the shelf. So if value is what you’re after, this bottle should be at the top of your list. Plus, if you’re a veteran or know a person who is one and want to celebrate them, I suppose this is one of the more restrained whiskies you can get when it comes to showing off your appreciation.