Full disclosure: This sample was sent to me to review as part of the @TheWhiskyWire Flash Blog for National Bourbon Day.
Preamble
I first got into distilled grain drinks through the medium of Scottish Whisky. It didn’t take me long to want to expand my horizons to other drinks. Irish Whiskey was an obvious destination, but I also decided to explore Bourbons. Here in the UK the vast majority of easily available Bourbon isn’t really intended for the sipping market, rather for the mixing market. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good Old Fashioned, but in general I appreciate whisk(e)y that’s good for sipping just as it is, or with a small amount of ice added.
I’ve not managed to try anywhere near enough Bourbon as I’d hope to, so when the opportunity arose to get a good sized sample of this to work through and review at leisure I jumped at the chance.
The Liquid
All the liquid for Yellowstone Whiskey is distilled at Limestone Branch Distillery which is based in Lebanon, Kentucky, where they also make a Straight Rye and a Gin.
The whiskey is a blend of 4-year old and 7-year old liquids, and bottled at 46.5% ABV (93 Proof). It originated in an open pollinated, white, heirloom corn heavy mashbill (75%), enriched with Rye (13%) and Malted Barley (12%).
As you might imagine from the name, a portion of the proceeds from Yellowstone Whiskey are used to support the Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone was first made in 1872 to honour the sprawling beauty of the Yellowstone park.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Cinnamon, Big Red gum, nutmeg, quite lively, demerara sugar, hints of pepper, French toast
Palate: Sweet with plenty of “American” spices. Reminds me of tucking into overly calorific Donuts in a coffee and donuts chain. The cinnamon has a real kick of warmth. Very drinkable. Has a spice to it, but it’s not overpowering making this quite approachable.
Finish: Cinnamon spice and lingering sweetness, but it’s quite short. Leaves you wanting more.
The sample provided was large enough to also make a small Old Fashioned, and I have to say, this whiskey absolutely sings in this format. I use Maple Syrup for mine and the slightly smoky twinge of this along with the orange zest really made the cinnamon notes of the liquid pop. It does seem slightly sacrilegious to be making a cocktail out of such a good whiskey, but I think in this case it’s worth it. Particularly on a warm summer’s evening.
Thoughts
This is definitely one of the best and most sippable bourbons I’ve tried in a very long time. I do have a soft spot for ones like Eagle Rare, Wild Turkey 101 etc, but you can’t beat paying a bit more for this. I suppose it’s much like a good Scottish Single Malt: you do usually get what you pay for up to a certain price point at least. I will definitely be on the lookout for a bottle of this once I have some space on the shelf.
Availability
At the time of writing, this is available to buy from Ocado and some other retailers for around £52.
