Brothers Andy and Charlie Nelson made a splash in the Nashville bourbon scene long before they distilled their first barrel. Almost 14 years ago, they rolled out Belle Meade Bourbon to great acclaim and spent years earning their reputations as purchasers, blenders, distillers, finishers and marketers of bourbon, rye and Tennessee whiskey. Their original releases were all sourced, which is to say that the brothers purchased barrels from a large distillery and then aged, blended and bottled the whiskey under the Belle Meade brand.
Before the bourbon boom of the past decade, it was pretty easy to find excellent barrels in the 6- to 8-year-old range, and that’s exactly where the Nelsons found the sweet spot for their first releases. Eventually, they began distilling fairly minimal amounts in their own facility, but they were always sourcing the majority of the products that they sold, boosting their profile by selecting really good whiskeys and often making them even better by finishing them in different types of casks that had previously held brandies, wines or even honey.
In 2024, mega-distiller Constellation became the majority stakeholder in the brothers' company and ownership of both the Green Briar and Belle Meade Bourbon brands. But at the tail-end of 2024, the brothers quietly regained the Belle Meade rights.
The Nelsons’ latest incarnation of Belle Meade Bourbon is very similar to their original releases, sourced from the same place and of a similar age. While they don’t have their own production facility yet, they are still warehousing their barrels, selecting when they are ready and blending them to create the signature complex high-rye flavors that many of us have come to love.
Their current releases are Belle Meade Bourbon Classic and Belle Meade Bourbon Reserve. The Classic is bottled at 90.4 proof, an excellent ABV for sipping or for cocktails. This particular whiskey is even better than the BMB I remembered fondly. Even more impressive is the Reserve, slightly older with some barrels spending as much as 11 years in the rickhouse before entering the blend, and it’s bottled at a bold 108.3 proof. It’s definitely worth seeking out.
Since relaunching last spring, Andy and Charlie have been concentrating on building retail and bar placements in Nashville and, recently, in Chattanooga. At the same time, they are working on plans to build out a new facility where they would have room to blend, bottle and finish their whiskeys and invite guests into a tasting room. More on that as details become more concrete.
In the meantime, the Nelson brothers are partnering with Visit Music City's annual Dine Nashville programming for an offering with a “Drink Nashville” twist. They are collaborating with select restaurants that are long-time Belle Meade fans to create a specialty cocktail for the month of February. Restaurants and bars across the city will spotlight these drinks throughout the month with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Belle Meade Spirits Fermentation Science Scholarship at Middle Tennessee State University, supporting the next generation of local distilling talent. Confirmed participating locations to date include:
Henrietta Red
Husk Nashville
Kayne Prime
Martha My Dear
Martin’s Bar-B-Que
Moto Moda
Moto
Rudy’s Jazz Room
Sportsman's Grille
Superica
Tailor
Virago
Additional partners will be spotlighted on Belle Meade Bourbon’s Instagram as they’re confirmed.
Also, Belle Meade Bourbon will host a bourbon and bonbon pairing class with Goo Goo Cluster on Sunday, Feb. 1, at 4 p.m at their downtown shop at 116 Third Ave. S. Guests will enjoy guided tastings of chocolate and bourbon, as well as get a chance to make their own Premium Goo Goo. Tickets for this experiential class are available through Goo Goo Cluster’s website.
