2018 Yellowstone Limited Edition Bourbon Review

This has become a series I look forward to trying each year. It’s an evolving style of bourbon that brings something new to the glass each year and retains a delicate and delicious balance. The latest, the 2018 Yellowstone Limited Edition Bourbon, is no different in its delivery, but its execution is a bit different than its predecessors.

Yellowstone Limited Edition 2018 Bourbon

To make 2018 Limited Edition, the folks at Limestone Branch took bourbons aged 4-12 years, including some of their own whiskey, and blended them together. They then took 28 wine barrels, the same from the 2017 and 2016 Yellowstone Limited Editions, and gave them a No. 3 char. They dumped the blended bourbons into the newly charred wine casks and let the mixture marry and finish in them for a bit less than a year.

2018 Yellowstone Limited Edition Bourbon Review: Details and Tasting Notes

Yellowstone Limited Edition 2018 Bourbon Detail

In Limestone Branch’s Words: 2018 Yellowstone Limited Edition Bourbon

In 2016, we finished our Limited Edition bourbon in specially selected new wine barrels, which lent their special flavor to that year’s celebrated bourbon,” says Beam. “Later that year, after the bourbon was dumped and bottled, the same 28 barrels were lightly charred and we filled them with our 2017 Limited Edition bourbon. This year, we took the very same barrels – now rich with complexity – and deeply charred them before filling them with our 2018 Limited Edition

2018 Yellowstone Limited Edition Bourbon price, ABV, age and other details

Region: Kentucky, USA

Distiller: Limestone Branch & (unknown… likely Heaven Hill)
Mash Bill: At least 51% Corn + Rye + Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak and ex-Wine
Age: 4 Years
ABV: 50.5%

Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Batch: 2018
Bottles: 12,000

Price: $100*

2018 Yellowstone Limited Edition Bourbon is good stuff and makes me excited for the release of their own whiskey.

2018 Yellowstone Limited Edition Bourbon Tasting Notes

EYE
Caramel

NOSE
Cherry heavy dark fruit, oak, molasses, cinnamon, vanilla taffy, musty oak, tough biscuity and a olde candy.

PALATE
Musty oak, baking spice, brown sugar, dried dark fruit, vanilla, char, roasted corn and a touch of hazelnuts and citrus peels.

FINISH
Long -> Oak, spice, cinnamon and citrus.

BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great, full round and oily

2018 Yellowstone Limited Edition Bourbon Review: OVERALL

A hair better than last year’s but for all practical measurement, the 2018 Yellowstone Limited Edition Bourbon is equally as good as the Yellowstone 2017 Limited; a worthy addition to the lineup for sure. The aroma and palate are both rustic oak driven in character with enough sweetness to keep it all balanced and unique. As it opens some herbal notes show up on the aroma and some peanuts on the palate which both get enhanced if you add a bit of water.

I’ve come to enjoy these releases and it’s great they added some of their own aged distillate in the last 2 editions. I don’t know how much of it is their own 4-year-old whiskey, but there’s nothing in here that gives an off note so I have to assume it’s good stuff and I can’t wait for them to be putting out more of their own bourbon. Exciting times.

SCORE: 88/100 (B+)