Flash Blog: Limestone Branch Distillery's Yellowstone Select

Another Flash Blog! This time it's on National Bourbon Day and it's a dram from a distillery I'd not heard of before : Limestone Branch in Kentucky.

Let's see what this one is like:

Limestone Branch Distillery was founded in October 2010 by brothers Stephen and Paul Beam in Lebanon, Kentucky. They can trace their distilling heritage back to their great great uncle Jacob Beam who distilled bourbon in 1794. The distillery gets its name from the local grain and limestone waters that are readily available around Lebanon, Kentucky, where the distillery is located.

The distillery is now part of the Luxco family who also own Lux Row Distillers (Ezra Brooks & Rebel), Ross & Squibb Distillery (George Remus & Rossville Union), Green Hat Distillery and MGP.

Luxco acquired the Yellowstone brand in 1993 and transferred it to the Limestone Branch Distillery as part of their  joint venture.in 2015. It was originally produced in 1872 by J. Bernard Dant’s distillery and later in the distillery built by M.C. Beam.

Limestone Brach small batch distil bourbon which they release under the Yellowstone brand and rye under the Minor Case brand. Their Yellowstone bourbon is named after America’s first national park founded in 1872, they donate a portion of Yellowstone bourbon proceeds to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).

Distillery notes:

"A delicate fusion of flavours from seventh-generation distillers, this straight bourbon features a handpicked blend of 4- and 7-year-old bourbons, for an exclusive old-fashioned whiskey that honours its deep family origins."

46.5% ABV

 

Nose: Rye spice with soft, leathered cherries

Palate: Smoked caramel

Finish: Smoky oak and brown sugar

 

My thoughts:

Appearance: Mid gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, bead up slowly and fall as slow thin legs.

Nose: Toasted oak, buttered popcorn, vanilla, toffee and a big spice note to start - nutmeg maybe? There's some mint, a little smoke and hints of berries and marshmallow.

Palate: Creamy sweet arrival, the popcorn and toffee from the nose are here along with some marzipan, brown sugar and a little dark chocolate. Then the spices kick in - the 13% Rye in the mash bill definitely kicking above it's ratio - cinnamon, cloves and pepper are all here and linger as the liquid disappears.

Finish: Lingering peppery spice, dry smoke and a little berry note that was on the nose.

Overall: A mash bill of 75% Corn, 13% Rye and 12% Malted Barley is fairly typical for a bourbon and this one delivers a typical corn staple of buttered popcorn, vanilla and toffee. There's no indication that this has been distilled at Limestone Branch, some suggest that this is still sourced from Luxco's stocks whilst the distillery builds up it's own stocks. Either way it's a very nice bourbon, one of the better ones I've tried in a while. It's available in all of the usual places at a reasonable price - give it a try!

 

Many thanks to Limestone Branch Distillery, @ChapmanPoolePR and @TheWhiskyWire for the sample but this didn't influence my review.