Way back in late August of 2017, Mrs. G-LO, The Boys, and I experienced some of the most bizarre and breathtakingly beautiful terrain that we have ever seen, in the place that they call Yellowstone National Park. During our travels in Western Wyoming, we...
Got frighteningly close to the local wildlife;
Marveled at the majesty of the roaring rivers, incredibly deep canyons, and towering waterfalls;
Had a fantastic steak dinner with all the fixings, and drank some damn fine coffee at the Old West Dinner Cookout;
Took in all of the incredible scenery while driving slow and steady on many, many miles of super smooth asphalt while listening to Body Like a Back Road over and over again on Sirius XM;
Meandered along the Yellowstone Boardwalk and numerous other trails to experience the sights, sounds, AND smells of the many hot springs, geysers, and mudpots that are scattered throughtout the 3,472 square miles of magnificence that is America's first National Park;
And last, but certainly not least, waited patiently for the Grand Geyser to give us a show that we will never forget.
Yellowstone is a truly magical place that exceeded our expectations by leaps and bounds. Our only regret is that we didn't have more time to see EVERYTHING! Oh well. I guess there's always next time.
While we bide our time and wait for our next opportunity to fly back to the Wild, Wild, American West, let's move on to the REAL focus of this blog post; a review of a Bourbon whiskey made by Kentucky's Limestone Branch Distillery which is named after that spectacular National Park that I just told you about with very few words and a whole lot of photos...
Before we get to our review, below is a bit of information about Limestone Branch Distillery's Yellowstone 2017 Limited Edition Bourbon:
We've married hand-selected, extra-special Kentucky Bourbons with the finest of our own stock, distilled here at Limestone Branch.This alliance is consummated in once-filled, double seasoned barrels which are toasted and then lightly charred - where the whiskey intensifies and evolves. At just the right moment, it emerges with a complexity and character unlike any to come before it. From our hearts to fill your glass.And now for our impressions of this mighty fine sounding Bourbon...
- Appearance: Deep amber color. Then again, perhaps auburn would be a more accurate description due to that slightly reddish hue.
- ABV: 50.1%
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Aroma:
- Limpd: Vapory at first with a bit of a nose hair singe followed by a lot of rye (this whiskey smells SPICY!). After that, some sugars, butterscotch and a hint of orange slices and candied cherries.
- G-LO: Good bit of alcohol burn when I first take a sniff. Once it settles down, some yummy, classic Bourbon notes come through, i.e. cinnamon, burnt sugar, clove, vanilla, a bit of sweet tobacco, and very crisp gingersnap cookies.
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Taste
- Limpd: A little thin considering the rich aromas on the nose, and not as spicy as the nose had suggested. A good balance of sugar and cinnamon with a nice, warming burn in an average-length finish.
- G-LO: Light bodied with little to no oiliness. Much more mellow that I was expecting with a slowly building cinnamon spice at the start. Vanilla and brown sugar mixes with the cinnamon heat in the middle. More baking spices show up in the finish with those well-done gingersnap notes lingering in the aftertaste.
The Verdict
Limpd: I have to say that I am not a huge fan of rye. I've found the harshness of the rye spiciness to create an almost one-note flavor. When incorporated into Bourbon, I hadn't noticed a big difference and, as a consequence, I prefer wheated Bourbons. Yellowstone makes me re-think that position. There was a good bit of rye sharpness at the start, but it wasn't just rye sharpness. There were so many more flavors and great balance and it was so easy to drink. I like it!
G-LO: I've been intrigued by Yellowstone branded whiskey for quite some time thanks to the extremely attractive packaging that taunts and teases me every time I peruse the liquor store shelves in search of something new to drink. I am very pleased to report that there's more than just pretty, shiny packaging going on with this whiskey. There's real substance in the bottle! The Yellowstone 2017 Limited Edition is a very well-balanced and surprisingly easy drinking Bourbon that has many deep and delicious flavors going on. And that lightly spiced gingersnap-like finish is oh so memorable. Bravo, Limestone Branch!
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Many thanks to Common Ground PR for sending us these very generous samples!
Categories: Booze Review, Yellowstone
Tagged as: booze, Bourbon, Drinkwire, Limestone Branch Distillery, Liquor, Photography, Review, Reviews, Spirits, Travel, Whiskey, Whisky, Yellowstone 2017 Limited Edition, Yellowstone National Park