Whiskey Review: Green River Distillery Select Toasted Double Oak Bourbon

The short answer: Green River Distillery Select Toasted Double Oak is an 8-year Kentucky bourbon finished for an additional 6 months in new toasted American oak barrels, bottled at 115.1 proof and priced at $49.99 for a 375 mL bottle. It's the first release in Green River's new limited-edition series, positioned as the budget-friendly counterpart to Bardstown's Distillery Reserve. We scored it 40.5/50.

Introduction

Today on Film & Whiskey, we're reviewing Green River Distillery Select Toasted Double Oak Bourbon, and there's a story worth telling before we get into the pour. Green River is part of Lofted Spirits, the same consortium that owns Bardstown Bourbon Company. Effectively, Green River is Bardstown's second brand, and it now occupies the shelf space that Bardstown briefly tried to fill with its short-lived Origin Series. Everything Green River makes sits between $25 and $50, which is a sweet spot for value-focused bourbon drinkers.

What's new is that Green River is now launching its own limited-release program, mirroring the Distillery Reserve platform that Bardstown has run for the last two years. Like Bardstown's version, Green River's Distillery Select will be available only at their Owensboro Distillery and their Louisville storefront, in limited quantities, and exclusively in the 375 mL format. The pricing is roughly half of Bardstown's Distillery Reserve, which typically runs $99 and up. If Bardstown's platform is where the brand pushes experimental wood finishes and international collaborations, Green River's version is positioned to bring some of that same experimental spirit to a more accessible price point.

The whiskey we're reviewing today is an 8-year Kentucky bourbon that spends an additional 6 months in a new toasted American oak barrel. Not charred, toasted. That distinction matters for the flavor profile, and it's what makes this a "double oak" release rather than a straight bourbon. It clocks in at 115.1 proof, which is roughly the same proof point as Green River's Full Proof, one of our favorite expressions from the brand. MSRP is $49.99 for the 375 mL bottle.

One caveat going in: Bob has a checkered history with toasted barrel finishes. Something about toasted oak tends to bring out tannic bitterness on the back end of the palate, and if the last note in a whiskey is bitter, it can leave the whole experience feeling like a letdown. Brad, for what it's worth, thinks that position is wrong. Let's see who's right.

This review comes from our episode "Big Hero 6 (2026) / Green River Toasted Double Oak Bourbon." Click the link to listen to this review in audio format.

Nose

Brad: This is an excellent nose. It pops you with caramel right away, but the more time you spend with it, you get a sweet vanilla frosting. There's graham cracker, and it gets an orange juice, orange zestiness that I like. I'll give it an 8/10 on the nose.

Bob: I'm going to say something you're going to make fun of me for. Sometimes when I eat overripe tropical fruits, specifically mango, there's a weird funky note on the back end that tastes like what I'd expect body odor to taste like. Kind of oniony. A lot of people don't know what I'm talking about, but it's a real thing. There's a note on this that reminds me of that overripe mango or papaya. In addition to that, I get vanilla frosting, but for me it's more of a cream cheese frosting because of a sour dairy note. It's pleasant, and it brings in fruit notes I don't typically get on a bourbon. My only concern is what that overripe note will translate to on the taste. I'm at an 8.5/10.

Taste

Brad: On the palate, the orange zest turns into the main character of this show. The graham cracker sticks around. It's got caramel. It gets peanutty for me, and with the peanut there's a dustiness that led me to one of our favorite comparisons: it's got a Big League Chew bubblegum dustiness to it. I love this. It's incredible. I'm at a 9/10 on the taste.

Bob: We had a retirement party for my wife's mom a few months ago. You're trying to feed 80 people, so we made fruit trays and whipped up some fruit dip. The classic recipe is almost equal parts cream cheese and marshmallow fluff. I'm getting both marshmallow fluff and cream cheese on this palate. The more I go back to the nose, the cream cheese comes out more. This is a fruit tray in a glass with a Midwestern fruit dip. Specifically, it triggers a piece of cantaloupe or honeydew dipped in that marshmallow-cream cheese dip. I like it. I'll give it an 8/10.

Finish

Brad: On the finish, it gets more into nutty territory. For me, it's peanut butter, vanilla extract, and a scorched caramel. Not quite as high as the palate for me, but I'll give it an 8/10 on the finish.

Bob: This is the second Green River in a row where I've picked up that funky onion note on the nose. Every time I take another sip, I go back to the nose to see what's brought out, and I'm getting a green onion note now. It's an interesting combination of flavors I've never had in a whiskey before. That said, I'm in a weird spot with this one. The finish is by far the weakest part of the experience. The 115 proof lives at the front of the palate, and when you go to swallow, it loses that burn quickly. The finish dissipates almost immediately. It's watery. Not unpleasant, and it doesn't leave that toasted oak bitterness at the back of my palate, but I wish there was more to it. It leaves the whole experience feeling thin on the mouthfeel. I'll give it a 6.5/10 on the finish.

Balance

Brad: This is a 9/10 on balance. All of the flavors are everything I want out of a bourbon. It's got a fruitiness paired with the caramel cream cheese decadence I want in a bourbon. This is spectacular.

Bob: I'm not there with you. It's good, but nothing has topped Green River Full Proof for me, which is by far the best thing I've tried from them. This is very good, and I'll reflect that in my score. It's not in the same flavor wheelhouse as anything we've tried from Green River before, and that's part of what's breaking my brain on it. It's folding in melon notes, the kind we usually only get on Irish whiskeys, in quantities I'm not expecting. The finish dropped down my overall score, but the notes from nose through finish stay consistent. I'm at a 7.5/10 on balance.

Value

Bob: MSRP is $49.99 for a 375 mL bottle. For reference, all of Bardstown's Distillery Reserve finishes have been about $99 and up. Is this half as good as a Bardstown Distillery Reserve? For the price point and what they're trying to do, yes. That said, is it possible to find an 8-year, double-oaked, toasted-finished bourbon somewhere out there? Yes. That strikes me as about a $70 whiskey in a 750 mL bottle. The markup here isn't terrible. All that said, I'd still rather pay $100 for a Cathedral French Oak than $50 for this. I'm at a 7.5/10 on value.

Brad: The Cathedral French Oak is one of the best whiskeys we've ever had, so comparatively, I'd say at $50, this is a great value. If you consider this a $100 whiskey, this is one of the better bourbons I've had in a long time. I'm not super high on bourbon anymore as a whole, so to impress me in this way, I'm a big fan. I'm at a 9/10 on value.

Final Scores

Bob: My final score is a 38/50.

Brad: I'm at a 43/50.

Conclusion

We're coming out to a combined score of 40.5/50 (or 81/100), which puts Green River Distillery Select Toasted Double Oak comfortably in "great" territory. For reference, 35/50 is where we'd typically start recommending you seek out a pour at a bar or pick up a bottle, 40/50 is a no-brainer, and 45/50 is excellent. Brad is on the higher end at 43, which puts this squarely in his no-brainer zone. Bob is at 38, which lands closer to a hesitant recommend. Either way, this is one of the better bourbons Green River has put out, and it's a promising first release from a limited-edition platform that we expect will follow the same trajectory as Bardstown's Distillery Reserve. If you can get to the Owensboro Distillery or the Louisville storefront, grab a bottle. If you love it, grab another. That's what the 375 mL format is for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Green River Distillery Select Toasted Double Oak worth the price?
At $49.99 for a 375 mL bottle, it's fairly priced for an 8-year, double-oaked bourbon at 115.1 proof. We scored it 8.25/10 on value combined. The math works out to roughly $100 for a 750 mL equivalent, which lines up with what a similar aged, toasted-finish bourbon would run elsewhere on the market.

What does Green River Distillery Select Toasted Double Oak taste like?
The nose brings caramel, vanilla frosting, graham cracker, orange zest, and a cream cheese sourness with tropical fruit notes. The palate delivers orange zest, caramel, peanut, and a Big League Chew bubblegum dustiness for Brad, and marshmallow fluff with cream cheese and cantaloupe for Bob. The finish is nutty with scorched caramel, though the mouthfeel thins out quickly.

How does Green River Distillery Select compare to Bardstown Distillery Reserve?
Green River Distillery Select is Bardstown's more affordable sibling platform, priced at roughly half the cost. Both brands are owned by Lofted Spirits and both use the 375 mL format for limited experimental releases. Bardstown Distillery Reserve typically runs $99 and up, while Green River Distillery Select bottles come in around $50.