Yellowstone Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon, a marriage of some of the finest hand-selected bourbon available, celebrates the return of Yellowstone to the family of Limestone Branch founders Steve and Paul Beam – and the many fine bourbons to come.Limestone Branch DistilleryClick to explore our complete library of reviews to help you choose your next perfect bottle.
Yellowstone 2017 Limited Edition Bourbon
- DISTILLER: Limestone Branch (and whiskey from undisclosed distillery – most likely Heaven Hill)
- MASH BILL: 7 year = 75% Corn | 13% Rye | 12% Malt; 12 year = 75% Corn | 13% Rye | 12% Malt; 4 year* = 75% Local Heirloom White Corn | 13% Rye | 12% Malt
- AGE: NAS – but includes a blend of 4*, 7 and 12 year-old Kentucky straight bourbons
- YEAR: 2017
- PROOF: 101 (50.5% ABV)
- MSRP: $100.00
- BUY ONLINE: Wine-searcher.com
*The 4 year old bourbon comes from Limestone Branch’s own distillate versus sourced whiskey for the other bourbons in the blend.
TASTE: Dark fruits | Leather | Cinnamon | Oak
FINISH: The rich dark fruits and leather drop off pretty quickly leaving a finish consisting of mostly spice, oak and a hint of caramel. And sadly there was no back of the throat surge/burn.
SHARE WITH: New bourbon drinkers will not enjoy this anymore than they would a $20 bottle of whiskey. To really appreciate what this has to offer requires a more experience palate. Share with folks who have an opinion about their bourbon and also enjoy trying new things – even if it means getting outside of their comfort zone.
WORTH THE PRICE: On its own it’s not with the $100 price. However, we have to take market context into consideration and realize that $100 is the new normal for anything that is considered a limited release. Taking that into consideration I think the price is fair. The juice isn’t the best I’ve had this year but it’s a solid pour and shows some great improvement over its 2015 Release expression.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: For me I’d rather try it at a bar before investing (due to my preferred flavor profile) but I can see that for many this would be a bottle purchase without sampling in advance. My advice though is that anything over $80 should always be sampled before purchase.
OVERALL: If you read my review of the 2015 release you’ll know I wasn’t a big fan back then. I’m happy to report that this release is much improved over that original release. To be fair, I think the 2015 Release’s nose was a bit better but the 2017 Release is improved on the palate and light years ahead on the finish. I would love to have had more of the rich flavors (e.g., dark fruits and leather) carry through the finish but at least it feels balanced. The final notes are of slightly bitter oak, never a favorite of mine, but that’s a personal preference that I’ve learned not everyone agrees with when drinking bourbon. For many this is going to be a delightful pour. If your preference leans towards spicier oak finishes this one should be on your must try list.
Learn more about Pop’s whiskey preferences and check out more of his reviews…
Disclaimer: Limestone Branch provided Bourbon & Banter with a sample of their product for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.
Patrick Garrett, "Pops" as he's known to his friends, is the founder of Bourbon & Banter, LLC and claims the title of Chief Drinking Officer (CDO). A long-time marketing professional and photographer, Pops hopes to use his professional experience and love of Bourbon to spread the Bourbon Gospel and help everyone realize the therapeutic power of having a good drink with friends. Read Patrick's full profile.
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