Drink of the Week: Nelson Brothers Rye Whiskey

Have you stepped outside today? Smelled the air, and felt the sun (or the wind, or the rain, or the snow) on your face? It doesn’t really matter where you live, because it’s mid-December, and that means one thing for certain: It’s whiskey season. And while options abound for your evening Manhattan or Old Fashioned (or, if you’re leaning into the holidays, for your whiskey-fortified Eggnog or Tom & Jerry), there’s a newcomer to the whiskey aisle that deserves a spin in your glass: Nelson Brothers Rye Whiskey.

I said “newcomer,” and that’s mostly true. This particular straight rye whiskey first came out of the gate earlier this autumn. But Nashville-based Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery has a story that stretches back across many generations and a span of more than 150 years. We’ve explored that family history before (give it a read, it’s a fun story), so now, let’s focus on what’s in the bottle.

This whiskey was designed to attract die-hard bourbon drinkers into the rye camp. Using a mash bill that essentially mirrors that of the distillery’s bourbon (swapping the percentages of corn and rye), the whiskey offers whispers of mint, lemon peel, and anise on the nose. Then it delves deeper with flavors of dried fruit and baking spice. Bottled at 92.5 proof, the rye comes across gently in the glass, and is primed for mixing into your favorite whiskey cocktails. $39.99, drizly.com