Yellowstone Select bourbon is another blend of straight bourbons from from the Limestone Branch distillery. The creation of this whiskey was orchestrated by Paul and Steve Beam whose family have a long history of distilling whiskey – their great-grandfather, Minor Case Beam, was the original owner of the Yellowstone brand. Like the Yellowstone LE the whiskey in this bottle all comes from other distilleries because their own whiskey is years away from being ready to bottle.
While ramping up their own production, Paul & Steve are taking the High West approach and putting out signature blends of whiskey to fund the distillery until their own whiskey has had time to fully mature. It’s not an uncommon approach and I don’t fault them in the slightest because they’ve been upfront from day 1 that it’s sourced whiskey. The honesty is refreshing, but in my estimation their blending experiments and releases haven’t been quite as successful as High West’s, especially at their price point.
Yellowstone Select Bourbon Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Blender & Bottler: Limestone Branch / Luxco
Cask: New charred oak
Age: NAS
ABV: 46.5%
Batch: 2015
Price: $65*
Yellowstone Select Bourbon Review
EYE
Orangish caramel
NOSE
Caramel, herbal, “organic licorice”, brown sugar, Bananas Foster (brûlée and toasted bananas), spice and a light bit of dark fruit and pie crust. By organic licorice I mean the soft, rich, all natural, etc. stuff you get at places like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. Not that waxy kind of licorice.
PALATE
Peanuts, hazelnuts, toffee, caramel and spice combined with light notes of citrus peel, wood and vanilla. That dark sweet and nutty character made me think of candied nuts and peanut brittle every time I took a sip.
FINISH
Medium fade of peanuts, wood, toffee, and spice.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Ok balance, medium body and a thick oily texture that ran a bit hot.
OVERALL
Yellowstone Select Bourbon has a sweet and nutty character that’s oddly comforting. I don’t know if it’s bringing up something from my childhood I can’t fully remember or if it’s just that combination of nuts and sweetness which gives it a rustic homey feeling that translates to “inviting”. It’s an interesting experience and possibly one that only really pertains to me.
Warm fuzzies aside, the bourbon itself isn’t overly complex, but it is a solid sipping whiskey that also works well in cocktails. On a value scale I’d say Limestone Branch + Luxco did a better job with the Yellowstone Select Bourbon than they did the Yellowstone Limited Edition (even though I liked the YLE a bit more). That said I still feel like this one is priced a bit high… about $15 – $20 too high If I’m being completely honest. It’s not a bad bourbon, just a bit pricy for what you get.
SCORE: 84/100
*Disclosure: This sample of Yellowstone Select Bourbon was graciously sent to me by the company for the purposes of this review. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
