Nelson’s Green Brier Rye Whiskey (8-Year, 90 Proof) Review

If you’ve followed Nelson’s Green Brier for any length of time, there’s a good chance you first knew them under a different label: Belle Meade. For much of the 2010s, Belle Meade was their flagship – sourced, well-aged MGP bourbon that was bottled up straight or with various barrel finishes. To illustrate my point, one of the better bourbon deals back then was a 9-year age-stated Sherry or Cognac finished bourbon for a little over $50. It didn’t take long for enthusiasts to start paying attention.

For all the more Belle Meade products over-delivered, there seemed to be an equal, but opposite force trying to push young, poorly made craft Tennessee Whiskey onto the same people under a different label called “Nelson’s Green Brier.” Those first examples were appropriately labeled “The First 108” and were absolutely terrible. The stats were confusing as to how old they were (between 2 and 5 years is what is generally agreed upon) and why they were so expensive ($60 for a 375ml bottle).

Frustration with the Nelson Bros boils over

The turning point for almost every enthusiast of the Belle Meade brand came shortly after May, 2019. That’s when Constellation purchased a majority stakeholder share of Nelson’s Green Brier. The future of the brand that enthusiasts came to love began to crumble. First, they stopped sourcing barrels of MGP bourbon. This effectively started the countdown until the Belle Meade brand was no more (which occurred more-or-less in 2021). Then, they pivoted to the Nelson Bros/Nelson’s Green Brier labels and began to change sources.

The rumor I heard was that their Tennessee Whiskey stocks they had distilled on their tiny pot still was not getting any better, so they needed a lifeline tossed their way. The Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey that went on sale in the new bottle in 2021 was supposedly sourced from Tennessee Distilling Group or Bardstown Bourbon Company. This kept the liquid flowing while they could figure out what was up.

Meanwhile, the Nelson Bros range of finished whiskies was met with backlash from fans of Belle Meade when they caught on that their beloved brand was no more. To most, these Sherry, Madiera, Cognac and all the rest of the casks just weren’t doing it. Even beloved nameplates like their Honey Cask finished bourbon or a rare 15-year-old rye whiskey were met with relative crickets compared to what would have been a box office smash just a few years prior. The brand was dying a slow death.

Andy and Charlie Nelson reacquire the Belle Meade brand

Another turning point came in 2025 when the Nelson brothers reacquired Belle Meade from Constellation. While this is still relatively new news compared to the timeline I’m writing this review, we’re all waiting with baited breath to see if they can turn it around. Meanwhile, Constellation retained the Nelson’s Green Brier facility and brand and has continued to put out releases under the NGB name.

One of the new releases to come out – a “house distilled” (I’m still not entirely sold on the fact this was 100% made by them) rye whiskey – is one of the most interesting products they have available. And much to my surprise, this isn’t another redo of their miserable “The First 108” release where the whiskey is too young and aged in small barrels. It seems to be legit. From the information I’ve gathered, it’s 8-years-old (why wouldn’t they put this on the front of the bottle?!), uses corn in the mash bill (which is not listed) and aged in standard sized barrels. They’ve also nailed the price at $50. The only thing I wished they could have done differently is offered a higher proof version (this one is 90 proof) and made it more than just a gift shop exclusive. And bonus – it comes with a cool felt bag.

So how does it taste? Thanks to my friend Jon making a trip down to Nashville recently, I get to find out. I sampled this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: This nose packs a powerful herbal punch of mint, tarragon and dill. I find earthy notes like “forest floor” which is common in many less-mainstream rye whiskies and something I actually like finding. There are other green notes like unripe pear and green tea leaves. While we’re on the subject of fruit, another one I can smell are apricots. Spices include cinnamon stick and coriander (odd). I also find the lightest bit of honey to keep things mildly sweet. A craft note rears its ugly head throughout with cardboard. Strange, for 8-years-old I would’ve expected some better tannins.

Palate: The green rye notes of the nose have somehow been toned down once the whiskey hits my tongue. Spice notes like cinnamon, clove and peppercorns are the most flavorful ones I am picking up on. Sweet notes are hard to pick up on and mainly center around honey and confectionaries sugar, but I wouldn’t call the dram bitter because of it. The limited herbal flavors mainly stick to mint and tarragon and also blend quite well with some botanical flavors. I can find a little bit of nuttiness throughout, but it’s mainly toasted pecans and nothing like a peanut note that I’d typically get from Beam. Two off notes that are very hidden in the background include a graininess and some more cardboard – although I will admit that the oak tannins are a little more pronounced on the palate.

Finish: The finish isn’t as short as I was thinking it would be at 90 proof – I would attribute this to possibly the non-filtered and pot-distilled aspect of the liquid. It has just enough kick to make it last a moderate amount of time. The green notes from the nose slowly seep back in and keep things refreshing and light. Sweetness is once again, not a strong suit of this drink but it’s just enough to keep it from finishing astringent or bitter. Fruit notes have mainly disappeared as well. The finish is pleasant enough but the only layers you’re going to encounter are spice and green/herbal notes. If that’s your jam, you’ll be right at home.

Score: 6/10

While I’ve only had one experience before with the Nelson Brothers Straight Rye (which was distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Company), I can honestly say that this bottle of NGB is more the more interesting of the two. While I don’t think that it’s flawless (far from it), it has an identity that sets it apart from other rye whiskies – whether from craft or heritage distillers.

After I was done with the tasting notes, I found out that this rye whiskey was not put through the Lincoln County Process, which must be why it has retained so much of its viscosity, earthy and herbal/botanical layers. Good on them for skipping that step. I also found that I don’t really mind that this was only 90 proof. It drank with much more complexity than I thought it would.

Final Thoughts

The single biggest thing this rye has going for is its value. Unlike those “The First 108” bottles that the distillery sold back in the day (I know, I keep bringing it up), the price for this bottle is a steal at $50. I don’t even know if you can find 8-year-old MGP rye whiskey for that cheap.

But is the taste worth it? Again I say “yes.” It’s interesting enough that it won’t taste like another run-of-the-mill 95/5 or Knob Creek or whatever. Plus, the label and bottle is kind of sexy and stands out on a shelf (until I got a bottle of Liberty Pole which I realize is the exact same shape and cream-colored seal, haha). But aside from that, it’s a cool bottle to have that I guarantee most of your friends won’t. To wrap all of this up, if you’re anywhere near Nashville, pop on over to NGB and pick up a bottle. For the taste, value and exclusivity, you could do a whole heck of a lot worse.