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Bourbon

Yellowstone Select Bourbon

OVERALL
RATING

Whiskey Review: Yellowstone Select Bourbon

Tasting Notes:

About:
Appearance:
Dark amber in the glass, with heavy legs
Nose:
Sweeter flavors like vanilla and caramel are most prevalent, but the nose isn’t cloying, thanks to a solid oak bass note. After a few minutes in the glass, black cherry and a hint of toast make an appearance.
Palate:
Caramel and oak predominate on the palate, with a somewhat oily mouthfeel. Finish: Warm allspice pops out after swallowing, followed by more caramel. Wood lingers on the finish. Conclusion: This is an easy-drinking bourbon with a well-balanced flavor profile, but there’s nothing particularly interesting about it. I don’t have any real objections, but I also don’t feel the $50 price tag is justified. SCORE: 80/100
Finish:
Warm allspice pops out after swallowing, followed by more caramel. Wood lingers on the finish.
Comments:

Yellowstone SelectEditor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a free sample to review by the party behind it. The Whiskey Wash, while appreciative of this, did keep full independent editorial control over this article.

Yellowstone Bourbon has long been relegated to the status of bottom-shelf swill. One of many whiskey labels owned by spirits giant Luxco, Yellowstone is also one of the older bourbon brands, dating back to 1872, the year its namesake national park was founded. Since Luxco’s partial acquisition of Lebanon, Kentucky-based Limestone Branch Distillery in 2014, the two companies have been hard at work rehabilitating the brand, and so far they’ve turned out two higher-end whiskeys.

Limestone Branch has a vested interest in the Yellowstone label, as its owners, brothers Steve and Paul Beam, are descendants of both William Dant—whose brother, J.B., was the original distiller producing Yellowstone—and M.C. Beam, who ran another distillery that Dant ended up buying as part of the Yellowstone empire. Both families were involved in producing the whiskey until 1944, when the brand was sold to Glenmore.

Limestone Branch has no connection except a familial one with the original Yellowstone distilleries. It’s still a young distillery, and until recently, it was turning out only unaged spirits. Last October, we reviewed their first offering under the Yellowstone label, the $105 Yellowstone Limited Edition. Yellowstone Select is a more recent, lower-priced addition to the lineup.

Like its pricier cousin, Yellowstone Select is a sourced whiskey, made with a blend of four- and seven-year-old Kentucky bourbons. Reportedly, it’s a higher-rye blend, but no specifics on the mash bill are available. It’s bottled at 93 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Appearance: Dark amber in the glass, with heavy legs

Nose: Sweeter flavors like vanilla and caramel are most prevalent, but the nose isn’t cloying, thanks to a solid oak bass note. After a few minutes in the glass, black cherry and a hint of toast make an appearance.

Palate: Caramel and oak predominate on the palate, with a somewhat oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Warm allspice pops out after swallowing, followed by more caramel. Wood lingers on the finish.

Conclusion:

This is an easy-drinking bourbon with a well-balanced flavor profile, but there’s nothing particularly interesting about it. I don’t have any real objections, but I also don’t feel the $50 price tag is justified.

SCORE: 80/100 

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