Distillery profile

Nelson's Green Brier Distillery

Explore the distillery's history, craft, production, and the distinctive character of its whiskies.

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Nelson's Green Brier Distillery

Quick overview of the distillery

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery in Nashville has revived a historic 1860 recipe and combines family heritage with modern hospitality. The distillery serves as both a production site and visitor destination with daily tours, tastings, a restaurant, shop, and events, while experimenting with cask-finishing in imported French oak casks.

History

The history begins with Charles Nelson, born in 1835 in Germany, who emigrated to the USA with his family in 1850. He first settled in Cincinnati and learned the craft of spirits production, before moving to Nashville and establishing himself as a merchant. Demand for his whiskey led to the purchase and expansion of a distillery in Greenbrier, where in 1885 he sold significant quantities and was among the first to bottle his whiskey. Charles died in 1891, and his wife Louisa took over the operation. Tennessee's local prohibition in 1909 closed the distillery and many facilities fell into disrepair. In 2006, brothers Charlie and Andy Nelson discovered the family's history, found original bottles and the recipe, and after several years of work Nelson’s Green Brier was revived as a modern distillery. In 2023, the Nashville facility underwent a major renovation, opening space for a restaurant, event room, and updated production areas.

Raw materials and production

Nelson’s Green Brier today builds on a revived family recipe and works with classic ingredients such as rye and corn. A concrete example from the products is a rye with a mash bill that includes 30% corn. The water supply includes the historic source on the property, described as an ever-flowing spring. The history also mentions a purchase of a distillation patent, and in modern operations emphasis is placed on distillation and subsequent aging/finishing. A clear part of the production identity is the use of cask-finishing, including French oak casks from Southwest France for selected finishes. The distillery is marketed as operating under Distillery Spirits Plant Number 5 and combines traditional recipe handling with modern finishing methods.

Maturation and cask types

Maturation plays a clear role in the expressions at Green Brier, especially through the use of French oak casks and specifically Cognac-fades from Southwest France. These casks are used as finishing casks to add further fruit and wood notes to bourbon blends. The distillery highlights its ability to source and apply selected French casks as part of their experiments with cask finishing.

The whiskeys

The portfolio includes both the revived Original Tennessee Whiskey as well as modern Nelson Brothers expressions such as rye and bourbon blends with cask finishing. In addition to core whiskeys, a Cream Liqueur is mentioned: Green Brier Cream Liqueur, and the award-winning Belle Meade Bourbon. The products are sold through the distillery's shop and online, and presented in a range of tasting experiences on site, where cask finishing and historic recipes are often common denominators.

Whiskey Type / Series Alcohol Cask and finish Flavor profile Status
Nelson Brothers Straight Rye Whiskey Straight Rye Whiskey; Nelson Bros. 46.25% A rye with a mash bill that includes 30% corn, which, according to the product text, gives a warmer spice with sweeter notes than traditional rye. Current; Core range; Available online and in distillery shop
Nelson Brothers Cognac Cask Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in Cognac casks; Nelson Bros. 48.35% French oak casks (Cognac-casks); finish: Selected Cognac-fades are used to finish to emphasize fruit notes and roasted wood A bourbon blend that has spent time in French oak casks from Southwest France and finished in selected Cognac-fades to add fruit and oak character. Current; Core range; Available online and in distillery shop
Original Tennessee Whiskey (Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey) Tennessee Whiskey The historical, pre-prohibition recipe from 1860, revived and sold as Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey. Current; Core range; Available through distillery and online shop
Belle Meade Bourbon Bourbon An expression described as award-winning on the distillery's website. Current; Core range; Available through distillery and select retailers
Green Brier Cream Liqueur Flavoured Cream Liqueur A cream-based liqueur made with Nelson’s Tennessee Whiskey combined with notes of chocolate, hazelnut and pecan. Described as available at the distillery and in the online shop. Current; Core range; Available at the distillery and in Online Bottle Shop

The whiskies' style and flavor profile

From the product pages, three overarching directions emerge: spicy warmth (centered in the rye expression), sweeter corn notes, and a pronounced fruity character from Cognac-finish. Additionally, vanilla, caramel, and toasted oak are mentioned in connection with the French finishes, painting a picture of a style that ranges from spicy and warm to fruity and oak-forward.

Visit the distillery

The Nashville distillery welcomes visitors daily with guided tours and tastings at scheduled times. There is an open Gift & Bottle Shop, a restaurant serving lunch Wednesday–Saturday and Sunday brunch, as well as a bar attached to the distillery. Special experiences such as Bottle Your Own Brier, Premium Tasting Experiences, and Supper Club are offered; for these and other private events, advance booking may be required. The shop's and tours' opening times are listed in the distillery's official information, and staff can be contacted by phone or email for more detailed planning.

The stated hours are Gift & Bottle Shop: Sun–Thu 11:00–18:00, Fri–Sat 11:00–19:00. Distillery tours & tastings: Sun–Thu 11:00–17:00, Fri–Sat 11:00–18:00. Restaurant: Wed–Sat 11:30–17:00, Sun brunch 10:00–15:00.

Philosophy and craft

The distillery's core values are to preserve and revive a historic family recipe, while experimenting with cask-finishing and offering hospitality through experiences and events. There is a clear focus on local grounding, community events, and combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary product experiences.

Awards and recognitions

  • Platinum - Nelson Bros Rye (2024, Platinum, Nelson Bros. Rye)

  • Awards at the Bartender Spirit Awards (2024)

  • IWSC medals (Silver and Gold, as noted)