Historie

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery is located in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded by Charles Nelson in 1860, the family name later became known as one of the most successful in pre-Prohibition America. After Prohibition the distillery was lost, but Andy and Charlie Nelson revived Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery and set out to preserve the family’s heritage through a modern interpretation of the story. They launched Nelson Brothers Whiskey with the same exacting standards as their ancestors, and the first bottlings since 1909 were celebrated as a reconstruction of a family saga. The distillery operates in Nashville, closely tied to Marathon Village, and offers both sightseeing and experiences in today’s context – from tours and tastings to a living mercantile and restaurant.

Produktion / Fremstilling

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery blends historic Tennessee and bourbon traditions with modern finishing techniques. The base recipe for Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey is a wheated mash bill, which after aging is mellowed through sugar maple charcoal, and later bottled as Tennessee Whiskey. Nelson Brothers blends build on well-vetted bourbons, where mash bills typically consist of corn, rye and malted barley, aged in new, charred oak barrels, and some variants are presented as high-rye bourbons.

Distillery exclusives express another approach: special releases aged in various cask finishes such as Cognac, Madeira, Sherry, Mourvedre (wine), Calvados and even Rum and Maple finishes, adding new layers of aromas and flavors. Several of the releases are small-batch and sold primarily at the distillery and in a few retailers. Green Brier and Nelson Brothers thus showcase a combination of historic craftsmanship and innovative finishing.

Visits and tastings are described as part of the traditional experience at Nelson’s Green Brier: guided tours through the production, followed by premium tastings of seasonal and distillery-exclusive releases.

Produkter / Whisky-serien

Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey

Original Tennessee Whiskey based on the Charles Nelson family recipe; mellowed through sugar maple charcoal. 91 proof. Two offerings include notes of burnt sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and appropriate fruit notes.

Nelson Brothers – Classic Bourbon

Artful blend of high-rye bourbons, aged in new, new, charred barrels. Tasting notes include: Nose – spice cake, cherry, milk chocolate, vanilla, baked apple; palate – banana bread, cocoa, cherry; finish – black pepper, spearmint, lemon zest, sweet tobacco. ABV around 46.65% (93.3 proof).

Nelson Brothers – Reserve Bourbon

From selected barrels created as a strong and balanced blend with higher proof. Nose – cherry, maple syrup, mint-cinnamon; palate – caramel, allspice, cherry, hazelnut; finish – earthy, cocoa, allspice, cherry cobbler. ABV around 53.9% (107.8 proof).

Nelson Brothers – Rye Whiskey

Straight Rye with about 30% corn in the mash bill. Nose – clove, honeysuckle, anise; palate – nutmeg, dried apricot, sweet mint; finish – leather, cinnamon stick, cedar. ABV around 46.25% (92.5 proof).

Distillery Exclusives (examples)

• Nelson Brothers Cognac Cask – bourbon finish in cognac casks, notes of pear, crème brûlée, vanilla, cherry; ABV around 48.4%.
• Nelson Brothers Madeira Cask – finish in Madeira cask, notes of raisin, brown sugar, vanilla; ABV around 50.65%.
• Nelson Brothers Sherry Cask – English/oloroso finish, notes of wedding cake, cherry, leather; ABV around 50.0%.
• Nelson Brothers Mourvedre Cask – notes of dark plum, pepper; ABV around 53.75%.
• Nelson Brothers Rum Cask Finish – expected notes of demerara sugar, tropical fruit, vanilla; ABV around 50.7%.
• Nelson Brothers Honey Cask Finish – honey finish, notes of shortbread, honeysuckle; ABV around 56.2% (SOLD OUT in descriptions).
• Nelson Brothers Calvados Cask Finish – notes of apple, spice, pepper; ABV around 53.4%.
• Nelson Brothers Maple Cask Finish – finish in maple casks, notes of honeysuckle, conifer; ABV around 52.9%.
• Nelson Brothers Cognac Cask, Mourvedre Cask, Sherry Cask, Madeira Cask – “finish” products focusing on leveraging different French/European cask profiles to highlight unique aromas and flavors.

Green Brier Marathon Malt (Tennessee Whiskey)

A malt-forward interpretation of Tennessee Whiskey; malt dominance with notes of brown sugar, sweet almond, citrus and spices; ABV around 103.4 proof.

Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey – Bottled In Bond (BIB)

Special edition bottled under Bottled In Bond standards; mashes of corn, wheat and malted barley; aged 6 years and bottled at 100 proof; aromas of caramel, cornbread, allspice; palate – pepper, molasses, fruitcake; finish – tobacco, honey, black tea.

Nelson Brothers Rye / Other finishers

Releases such as Nelson Brothers Rye, and various finishing casks (Rum, Cognac, Sherry, Madeira, Mourvedre, Calvados, Maple, Honey) push beyond the traditional bourbon framework by introducing new flavor profiles and character, without shifting focus from the house’s bourbon and rye foundations.

Andre produkter og samlinger

• Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey – base product, a classic Tennessee Whiskey with a nose of caramel and vanilla, and a finish complemented by cinnamon and apple notes.
• Nelson Bros. – Rye and Bourbon lines in various percentages and finish variants; Single Barrel (NB 9-year) and other limiteds are mentioned in the history as specially designated releases.

Finds og shipping

Products can be purchased at the Distillery Mercantile or through the Online Bottle Shop. They have export and shipping to many states through Flaviar or directly from the distillery; free shipping on three or more bottles in some cases.

Besøg og oplevelser

Tours og smagninger

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery offers daily tours and tastings with premium tastings of the season’s products. Tours last about 45 minutes to an hour. Price for adults 21+ is $25; students/guests under 21 cost $20. Military/first responder discount $20. ID is required for tastings.

Bottle Your Own Brier

A completely new experience where guests can bottle their own bottle directly in the distillery hall with hand-picked whiskey expressions. Each expression is extremely limited, and you can date and personalize the label.

Coopers Club

An exclusive loyalty and ambassador program for dedicated fans; benefits include a complimentary tour & tasting twice annually, discounts at the shop and bar/restaurant, access to online drops and exclusive events. The program has a waitlist and periodic openings.

Restauranten og Supper Club

The Restaurant at Nelson's Green Brier Distillery offers a menu with Northern Southern influences; Supper Club is held on Thursday evenings and offers a four-course family-style service with pairing pours and cocktails.

Mercantile og arrangementer

The Mercantile store sells spirits, barware and souvenirs; there are options for private events and buyouts of the entire distillery for special occasions (capacity up to 550-660 guests when fully arranged).

Filosofi

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery blends historic craftsmanship with contemporary innovation. The founders’ legacy, "the same exacting standards of their great-great-great grandfather," guides production. They aim to preserve the family recipe dating back to the 1860s and the Tennessee Whiskey tradition, while exploring creative finishes and limited releases through their Distillery Exclusives and Nelson Brothers line. The focus is on quality, integrity and a deep connection to Nashville and Marathon Village as a living storytelling around whiskey art and distilling.