Our Oldest Green River Release Yet. What That Means for the Brands We Build.
Green River Distilling Co. was founded in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1885. This month, we’re releasing the oldest expression we’ve ever bottled.
Toasted Double Oak — the inaugural release in our new Distillery Select series — is an eight-year-old Green River bourbon finished six more months in new American toasted oak and bottled at 115.1 proof. It earned a Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition before it ever reached the shelf.
For Lofted Spirits, it’s also a demonstration of something we think matters a great deal for anyone evaluating a contract distilling partner: what patient, quality-first production looks like in practice.
What Distillery Select Is, and Why It Exists
Distillery Select is Green River’s new platform for small, limited releases built around barrels that stand out — different approaches, unique finishes, expressions that earned their way out of the warehouse.
The first release required patience. Eight years of aging in our clay tile rickhouses in Owensboro — including time in Warehouse B, where Kentucky’s temperature swings accelerate maturation in ways that are difficult to replicate elsewhere — followed by six months in new American toasted oak to build depth and structure.
The result is the oldest Green River expression ever released. Priced at $49.99. No scarcity theater. No inflated MSRP.
That’s the philosophy behind Distillery Select, and it’s the same philosophy behind everything we produce at Lofted Spirits: let the liquid lead.
What This Means for Contract Distilling Partners
Brands evaluating a distilling partner are really asking one question: can this operation produce something worth building a brand around? Toasted Double Oak answers that question in a few concrete ways.
Finishing capabilities
Double oak finishing — re-barreling aged whiskey in a second, new oak barrel — requires a production operation that can manage extended aging timelines, secondary barrel programs, and blending decisions across multiple aging environments. Distillery Select was built to demonstrate exactly that capability. For contract partners interested in finished whiskey expressions, this is proof it can be done with quality.
Award-validated liquid
A Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) is a meaningful external validation. SFWSC is a blind judging process — the bottle doesn’t win because of the brand behind it. It wins because of what’s inside. That’s the standard we hold our own liquid to, and it’s the standard we apply across contract production.
The Production Details
– Distillery: Green River Distilling Co., Owensboro, KY (DSP KY 10)
– Founded: 1885
– Aging: Clay tile rickhouses, including Warehouse B
– Finishing: New American toasted oak, 6 months
– Age: 8 years (core), plus finishing period
– Proof at bottling: 115.1
– Recognition: Double Gold, San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Long-term thinking
The bourbon category has gone through significant turbulence over the past two years — overproduction, softening demand, large distilleries pausing operations. The brands that weather those cycles are the ones built on fundamentals: sound liquid, honest positioning, and the patience to let the product lead.
Learn more about contract distilling with Lofted Spirits at LoftedSpirits.com.