In September, country music star Dierks Bentley returned to Owensboro, Kentucky, to unveil a bold new expression in his Row 94 whiskey line. At Green River Distilling — the 10th oldest distillery in Kentucky — Bentley introduced Row 94 Full Proof, a 120-proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon that builds on the success of last year’s launch.
Bentley, who was born in Phoenix, Arizona, moved to Nashville in 1994 to attend Vanderbilt University, graduating in 1997. Bentley’s studio albums have accounted for 27 singles on the charts, 18 of which have reached No. 1, including his 2003 debut single, “What Was I Thinkin’.” The Row 94 brand name was inspired by Nashville’s Music Row, where Bentley also owns a bar, Dierk Bentley’s Whiskey Row, and the year the performer moved to Nashville.
During the launch event, guests toured Green River Distilling’s historic site, sampled all three Row 94 expressions, and closed the day with an intimate performance by Bentley and two bandmates and lunch catered by one of Bentley’s favorite barbecue establishments, Owensboro’s Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn. Members of the media, including Evansville Living Publisher & Editor Kristen K. Tucker and Creative Director Laura Mathis, spent 30 minutes prior to the tours in a discussion session with Bentley and Justin Willett, vice president of operations for Lofted Spirits, the contract distilling arm of Bardstown Bourbon Co. and Green River Distilling.
Bentley says the idea for Full Proof came during the development of Row 94. “I tasted it at full proof — and I instantly knew we had something special,” he told the crowd. “There’s something raw and powerful about the uncut experience that really stuck with me.”
Owensboro felt like the right place to anchor the partnership, Bentley explained. “I love the grit, the history, and the people here. It all came together in such an organic way, and that turned into a business. It felt like home. Plus, it’s in the same time zone as Nashville and only a two-hour drive,” noted Bentley, who also is a private pilot.
Bentley performed at Owensboro’s annual bluegrass and roots music festival ROMP in 2024, and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum sits just blocks from the distillery. One of Bentley’s early concerts was held in 2005 at the Kentucky city’s now-demolished Executive Inn Rivermont Showroom Lounge.
Bentley had plenty of anecdotes to share during the Q&A session. Among them: “Growing up, Hank Williams Jr. was kind of like my guy. I’m traditional like that,” he said. “And I like traditional whiskey. I also like traditional beer; I’m a Busch Light drinker. I don’t really like hazy or juicy. I enjoy a traditional beer that tastes good at the end of the day — or tastes good early in the day, too.”
Also, who would have expected that Bentley spent the summer of his 13th year at Culver Academies summer camps? Culver, a private co-educational boarding school in Northern Indiana, also operates residential summer camps. In 2013, Bentley was inducted into the Culver Academies Arts and Letters Hall of Fame.
Coincidentally, Bentley has released a song titled “Bourbon in Kentucky,” the first single from the 2014 album, “Riser.” It’s a dark, emotional song, featuring backing vocals by then-rising star Kacey Musgraves with the central lyric, “There ain’t enough bourbon in Kentucky for me to forget you.” And we’re not forgetting about the bourbon.
The tasting included the three expressions: Row 94 Full Proof, the reason we were there; Row 94, which launched in September 2024; and Row 94 Broken Branches, a rare bourbon (only 1,500 bottles were made) bottled at 100 proof and aged 5 years that was introduced in June in honor of Bentley’s newest album.
Row 94 Full Proof — aged a minimum of four years and crafted from a mash bill of 70 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and 9 percent malted barley — comes straight from new American White Oak barrels with a Level 4 char. On the nose, drinkers will find vanilla, fresh tobacco, leather, and clove. The palate layers honey sweetness with raisin, black pepper, and smoky oak before finishing with toffee and dark chocolate.
Willett said the Green River team worked closely with Bentley to shape the brand and expand its reach. “We make a lot of great whiskey here, but what makes Row 94 stand out is the proof and the story behind it,” Willett said. “Dierks and the team spent about a year going back and forth on how to make this one unique, and we landed on the 94-proof flagship and now this Full Proof expression.”
Already a gold medal winner at Fred Minnick’s 2025 Ascot Awards, Row 94 Full Proof is $59.99 a bottle and available at merchants nationwide and online.
Bentley raised a glass with a favorite toast: “Keep flowing. Keep creating. Let’s Row.”
