Nelson Brothers Madeira Cask Finished Bourbon 750mL

Nelson Brothers Madeira Cask Finished Bourbon is head distiller Brandon O’Daniel’s personal favorite in the Cask Finish Series — Nelson Brothers Classic Bourbon, a blend of 4-to-9-year bourbons averaging 5 years in charred American oak, transferred to Malmsey Madeira wine casks sourced from Spain for an additional 3 to 18 months of finishing, where the sweet dessert wine character of Malmsey imparts dark sweetness, raisin, cherry pie, and honey roasted nut complexity at 101.3 proof, non-chill filtered.

Malmsey is the sweetest style of Madeira wine — a fortified Portuguese wine from the island of Madeira, known for its caramel, coffee, and dried fruit character. Applied to the Nelson Brothers Classic Bourbon base, the Malmsey cask adds the rich, dessert wine sweetness of raisins, cherry pie, and honey-roasted nuts to the caramel and oak foundation, producing a layered and complex finishing expression with a distinctly warm and sweet character. Browse all Nelson Brothers whiskey at Wooden Cork.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Raisin, cherry pie, and brown sugar with warm, fruity sweetness
• Palate: Honey roasted nut, mixed berry, and creamy vanilla with smooth, nutty depth
• Finish: Cocoa, ginseng, and candied ginger — long, warm, and slightly spicy

Specs

• Producer: Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery, Nashville, Tennessee
• Style: Straight Bourbon — Malmsey Madeira Cask Finish
• Base: Nelson Brothers Classic Bourbon — 4-9 year blend averaging 5 years
• Finishing: 3–18 months in Malmsey Madeira casks from Spain
• ABV: 50.65% (101.3 Proof)
• Filtration: Non-chill filtered
• Size: 750ml

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Malmsey Madeira and why is it used for bourbon finishing?

Malmsey is the sweetest and most dessert-like style of Madeira wine — a fortified wine from Portugal’s Madeira island, known for caramel, coffee, dried fruit, and a characteristic oxidative richness. The Malmsey style’s concentration of sweetness and dried fruit character transfers deeply into bourbon during cask finishing, producing the raisin, cherry pie, and honey complexity that distinguishes the Nelson Brothers Madeira Cask from the other Cask Finish Series expressions.

Why does the finishing period range from 3 to 18 months?

The finishing duration is determined by regular tasting evaluation rather than a fixed timeline. Each barrel’s existing flavor profile interacts differently with the Madeira cask character — some barrels achieve the right balance in 3 months, others benefit from longer exposure. The 3–18 month range reflects O’Daniel’s hands-on approach to ensuring the Madeira character enhances rather than overwhelms the bourbon foundation.