Say “honey” and I’m listening, whether we’re talking about breakfast or dessert. Or whiskey… as Nashville’s Nelson Brothers are the latest to take us into the world of honey as a finishing vessel for bourbon.

Nelson Bros. Honey Cask starts with the company’s cask-strength Nelson Bros. Reserve Bourbon — a blend of sourced stock from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee — and then finishes it for anywhere between 3 and 15 months in special barrels of Nelson Brothers’ whiskey that have been coated in TruBee Honey’s wildflower honey in Arrington, Tennessee. (The level of finishing likely disqualifies the finished product from being called a bourbon, but I won’t complain if you deem it to be one.) Either way, the whiskey has become one of Nelson Bros.’ most beloved products, with folks lining up on release day to get their hands on a bottle.

Released annually, we got our hands on a 2024 bottle and are happy to share our thoughts.

Very aromatic (and surprisingly dark in color) in the glass, this whiskey offers an immediately engaging aroma not of honey but of toasted wood, rye spice, spent grain, and brown sugar. Honey is initially drowned out by a more general earthiness, which is actually a good thing: The whiskey doesn’t start off smelling particularly sweet, which could be cloying and off-putting, but rather austere and a little seductive.

Time in glass does help the honey to eventually find its way up and into your nostrils, but expect to invest at least 10 minutes of air time for the whiskey’s charms to fully unfold.

On the palate, things change more quickly. The honey character is front and center, that earthiness blending perfectly into a sweet, seductive, and pretty whole. The flavor elements are varied but cohesive, running from chocolate to cherries to orange flowers. Eventually there’s a pinch of red pepper that spices up the finish, with notes of gingerbread and baking spice dusted across the top. A reprise of dark chocolate and — unavoidably — plenty of sweet honey endures as that finish fades into the background. It’s so seductive that it drinks entirely too easily at full proof. I wouldn’t think of adding water to it, unless of course you have a lot more common sense than I do.

Chewy, sweet, and as soothing as an afternoon nap, this is one of those rare whiskeys where I can understand the fuss around people lining up to buy it.

112.4 proof.

A / $199 / greenbrierdistillery.com

Nelson Bros. Whiskey Honey Cask Finish 2024

$199

9.5

Rating

9.5/10