Review #698 - Green River Single Barrel Bourbon 'Summer Salute'
Green River has seen a huge resurgence into the mainstream bourbon spotlight over the past couple of years. Their core range bourbons and ryes boast good quality and very fair pricing - we would say they're actually one of the best value brands on the market currently. Their ryed bourbon, which is made using a mashbill of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley, is available as a standard strength bourbon, a full proof bourbon, and also as a single barrel.
While Green River doesn't put an age statement on their single barrel bourbon bottles, they do state on the website that the minimum age for these single barrel picks is 5 years old; this example named 'Summer Salute,' which was purchased at the distillery in 2024, is bottled at a strength of 61.8% ABV (123.6 proof).
Green River Single Barrel Bourbon 'Summer Salute'
USA - Bourbon
Price: USD 70 (2025)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 61.8% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 11 months; bottles at 100%, 60%, and 40% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Well-rounded with notes of brown sugar and creamy grain; baking scents dominate overall, and we get creme brulee, fresh bread, and starchy oak. It's actually a bit mellow for the strength. Soft wood smoke and a hint of mint add a kick, and we get a nice mixture of vanilla, chocolate, and leather.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick; this is in-your-face and spicy, with strong cinnamon, leathery oak, and rye spice flavors. Chocolate, vanilla, and brown sugar are backed up by strawberry. There's a lighter side behind that, consisting of creme brulee, linen, and subtle almond flavors.
Finish: Vanilla, brown sugar, a hint of cream - tons of baking notes. Peppermint and spearmint hint at that rye grain again, and while oak is present, this doesn't taste too old; it's relatively mellow, with just a suggestion of tannins on the back end. Burnt sugar, caramel, and plum are found in the aftertaste, and the finish is medium-long.
Final Note: This is a nice single barrel bourbon from Green River. These aren't too old yet, and that shows in the flavors: just mild oak influence, which allows more of the grain and yeast notes to take center stage. Besides the soft fruit element, this leans mostly into the baking spice bourbon profile, full of vanilla, sugars, and minty rye spice. A good bourbon, and one that we think will get even better with some more age. We would really love to try a Green River single barrel like this with a 10 year age statement.
Value is very good, as the price for these single barrels is quite fair at about $70. This is in line with the rest of Green River's core range - good value across the board, a brand that we highly recommend trying in the bourbon category.
Our Average Rating: 7.2 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.96
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
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