Review #: 515
Description: Belle Meade Reserve
Spirit: Bourbon
Background: 30 For 30 Day 9: Belle Meade is running out if Nashville. While they are also known as the Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery with their own distillate, Belle Meade is their brand using sourced whiskey. They gained fame with some strong cask finishes (honey, sherry, etc.) but the reserve is just straight bourbon and actually proofed to 108.3 as they feel that’s where it is best. Their website says that it is a blend of two different mashbills and barrels 7 to 11 years old (but nothing definitive on the label).
Distillery – MGP
Bottler – Nelson’s Green Brier
Brand – Belle Meade
Selection – N/A
ABV – 54.15%
Age – NAS
Nose – Honeycomb, milk chocolate, a surprising amount of spice, pancake batter, rose water, sweet mint, tart cherry
Taste – Chocolate, creamy caramel, sweet corn, maple, cherry juice, orange zest
Finish – Oak and corn, fairy spicy and nice warmth to it, little brown sugar, faint orange oil
Score: 6
Would I buy a bottle? Yes
Thoughts: Another solid bourbon. It’s not as fruity as maybe some of my favorites are and definitely displays the corn and oak aspects, but it’s tasty, I agree with them that this is a solid proof, and for around $60 and pretty readily available, it’s hard not to recommend.