Featured in today’s Whisk(e)y News are a pair of Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbons from Belle Meade. Produced by Charles and Andy Nelson of Green Brier Distillery these bottlings are thoroughly steeped in tradition. The Nelson Brothers’ story is a unique one and well worth delving into as its a significant part of what makes these whiskies so special. Read on to learn more about these brothers’ efforts to forge a link with their family’s past to craft whiskey the way it used to be.

THE BIRTH OF A DISTILLERY

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery is the culmination of over 150 years of the Nelson Family’s relationship with Sour Mash Whiskey. Charles Nelson and his brothers came to the States in 1850 from Northern Germany with next to nothing. The son of a chandler, he eventually moved to Nashville where he started a successful grocery business -selling coffee, meat and, of course, whiskey. Seeing that the demand for whiskey was far outpacing supply, Charles eventually bought the local distillery in Green Brier Tennessee. By 1885, Charles had logged nearly 380K gallons in sales across North America and Europe. Charles continued to grow the business until his death in 1891 when his wife Louisa took over. Louisa ran the distillery, one of the few female distillery heads in this era for nearly 20 more years. Finally, the distillery closed in 1909 when statewide prohibition forced the Nelson’s out of business. Robertson County’s largest distillery was closed and the Nelson name would not adorn another bottle of Whisky for over 100 years.

2006 Belle Meade 10 Year Old “K&L Exclusive” Single Barrel #2525 Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $69.99

REKINDLING A FAMILY TRADITION

In 2006, when brother’s Charles and Andy Nelson visited their great-great-great grandfather’s old distillery, now preserved by the Greenbrier Historical Society in the Tennessee town of the same name, they had what might be described as a spiritual awakening. Both brothers are proud southern gentlemen, with a reverence for their family history and that of their home. Their love of Tennessee, whiskey, and history had come together in this special place producing what can only be described as an epiphany. Their path forward seemed clear. They would recreate the special whiskies of their forefathers and renew the Green Brier name which had made the Nelson name synonymous with great whiskey. Indeed, Nelson’s Greenbrier is one of the few craft distillery with an actual family history of distilling and bottling Tennessee Whiskey. Their mission was clear, but not taken lightly and indeed they’ve been very deliberate and thoughtful in achieving that goal. After years of research and planning, the brothers broke ground on a new distillery and began buying whiskey from the excellent MGP, Indiana. Using their grandfather’s old merchant label they re-launched Green Brier’s Belle Meade Bourbon brand and now have some of the oldest stocks of bourbon of any craft distillery around. Smooth Ambler and High West both source their whiskey from this same distillery, but neither of them will sell us 10 Year Old Cask Strength Single Barrel Bourbon any longer.

WHISKEY BORN OF A SIMPLER TIME

The Nelson Brothers are super down to earth, fun loving, and kind. They’re a pleasure to do business with and even more fun to share a few pints and a glass of whiskey with. When Charles came by the store last year, they had just launched one of their wine barrel aged expressions, which has definitely been their focus, and we discussed the possibility for single casks. Indeed, Charles was ready to start bottling some of his choicest barrels for their favorite customers. I was surprised when our samples arrived and were all above 10 years old, priced exactly where their standard 9 year casks strength would be. One of the few casks strength we’re getting from MPG any longer, indeed one of the few true casks strength bourbons in the store at all. We’re lucky to have the Nelson Brothers bottling bourbon like this because all around us, our independent suppliers are getting gobbled up by giant multinational companies. While they’ll remain our close partners, it becomes less and less likely that they’ll see the value in spending extra time and money marketing single casks to retailers when demand for their standard bourbons is so high. While we wait and see how the cookie crumbles, we’ll just sip on these Belle Meades and be reminded of a simpler time – 1885.