Yellowstone Select

General description

had an off putting smell I couldn't get past

General description

getting vanilla, leather and caramel notes in aroma and flavor. it's quite hot. a couple drops of water smooth it out nicely

General description

I had been avoiding this bourbon for whatever reason until it was on sale for $32. Figured there was no risk. This is a good solid bourbon. Nothing special but a good mix up with your brand name drams.

Nose

Traditional, vanilla, cola, caramel

Palate

Cola comes out for me, some baking spices, vanilla

Finish

I get the cola through and through

General description

mellow, sweet

Nose

oak

Palate

sweet, oak,

Finish

brown sugar

General description

Very mild and slightly sweet aroma that doesn't belie the bold flavor with hints of vanilla, caramel, and mild spice. It had a slight bite afterwards and simple finish, both of which mellow considerably with ice.

General description

This one is interesting with an herbal base, predominantly in grass. Spices and fruits are detectable. While herbal bourbons may not be for everyone, it's one of my favorite profiles.

SETTING: In perfect timing for the season (Halloween if you're from the future), I imagine an old, eerie shack with a black cat, a broom, and bushels of herbs hanging from the rafters of musty, old wood. It's night time and moonlight is trickling in through some fogged up windows. You've got your feet propped up next to a roaring fire, and you feel as though you've carved out a rare, special piece of your own heaven.

VITALS:
- Made in: Kentucky, USA
- Distiller: Limestone Branch/Luxco (sourced)
- Age: undisclosed (possibly a blend of a sourced 4 yr. old and 7 yr. old)
- Mash bill: undisclosed
- Casks: new charred oak; undisclosed char
- Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
- ABV: 46.5% (93 proof)
- Batch: 2018
- Availability: limited geographic availability
- Enjoyment method: neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow reviewer, Brian Dawson (username: bdawson 57). Check out his review for this bourbon and many others on his profile!

Nose

This one is very herbal in nature, and it's quite a fresh herb. Maybe potpourri. It isn't aggressive, but I imagine you could get carried away with it very easily. The hint of black pepper and rye (not as fresh as the herbs) make the whole spirit easily compatible with grilled chicken. Then again, this is just the nose. However, with other, subtler notes of caramel and oak, maybe I would consider pork.

Palate

- Mouth feel: there is a tingle there that morphs into richness.
- Balance: I'd say a pretty good balance. Nothing seems off.
- Visual: clinging droplets with fast-dropping legs.

- Taste: While being aromatic in a fresh sense, the first sip is full of traditional bourbon warmth. Mixed with that warmth, eventually I feel as though I'm able to detect a grassier note that's both summery and sweet. Other sips coax out the black pepper and rye from the nose though this also dissipates quickly back into the bourbon's comfort zone of grass and herbs. Greater time taken between sips makes me think there's a light fruit leather in there, maybe like apricot? At the same time, my brain thinks there's a dark fruit here too (fig?), but it is not the main attraction, and I can't distinguish it further.

With a Kentucky chew, I'm instantly salivating. The peppery bit explodes, but it falls back much more calmly. Strangely enough, a macadamia nut snuck in for some hearty sweetness but left before I was ready.

Finish

- Lasting power: This finish is lo...ng. The spicy burn fades quickly, but there's still so much left on the palate that running out of flavors seems an impossibility.

- No More: More leather comes out the further down the glass and the spice and fruit therefore fade a bit. Not going to lie, I do miss them. Other bitter notes come out with the leather, but it's not bad. The empty Glencairn is absolutely full of oak. This is the first indication of oak in this glass.

General description

Yellowstone Select is a good bourbon.  Internet searches reveal "Luxco sources bourbon from other distilleries in Kentucky.  In 2015 Luxco took a 50% stake in the Limestone Branch Distillery."  I do not recall tasting a bourbon similar to this, however as it is likely several bourbons were blended for this batch, that is to be expected.  For the price, there are better bourbons available.

YELLOWSTONE SELECT VITAL STATS:
ABV: 46.5% (93 Proof)
Region: Kentucky, USA
Producer: Limestone Branch / Luxco (Sourced)
Mash Bill: unknown
Barrel Entry Proof: unknown
Barrel Char Level: unknown
Age: Not Stated
(Internet sources indicate Yellowstone Select is blended from sourced four and seven year old Kentucky bourbons.)
ABV: 46.5% (93 Proof)
Cask: New charred oak
Batch: 2018
Availability: Limited Geographical Distribution

REVIEW SETTING:
I drank it neat, from a Glencairn glass.

The rating below is similar to my reviews of Baker's Bourbon Batch B-90-001, Dry Fly Distilling Straight Wheat, Elijah Craig Small Batch, Elijah Craig  Small Batch Barrel Proof A119, Henry McKenna Single Barrel, and Willet Pot Still Reserve.

Nose

Upon first nosing, Yellowstone Select presents with a slight ethanol bite and a fair amount of alcohol.  Careful and extended nosing brings out a potpourri of tree blossoms in spring along with hints of apple stands in the orchard at harvest time.  There is plenty of fresh peeled tangerines, bananas and an essence of orange blossom honey as well.  Its spiciness is limited to rye which couples nicely with pie crust-like pastry, a trace of vanilla, and a simple syrup made from light brown sugar.  While there seems to be alot going on, I would still say this is a simple bourbon with only a little fresh cut piney woodiness.

Palate

When the amber liquid first touches the tongue, its ethanol bite is both dry and warm.  There are bitter (but not unpleasant) herbal notes of dusty corn, grain and hay and a prickly spiciness of black pepper and rye.  Yellowstone Select's sweetness is masked in dark figs, bittersweet baking cocoa, and dark molasses.  It is an earthy bourbon with a faint bitterness of hazlenuts, barrel char and spice.  As the dram disappears, faint oak lightly dances on the tongue.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
This bourbon has an even balance, a medium body and a creamy mouthfeel.  There is also a slight tickle in the throat which can run a bit hot if care is not taken. Yellowstone Select offers long clinging legs in the Glencairn.

Finish

Yellowstone Select has a long warm and herbal finish of hay, black pepper and rye.  As noted on the palet, there is a little tickle in the throat which accompanies its earthy barrel char.  Any sweetness detected on the nose and palate has disappeared and only when the dram is gone do scents of oak finally waft from the Glencairn.

General description

Tastes like a bourbon trying to imitate a Speyside scotch... and it's good! Notes of honey, caramel, and tartness that I likened to green apples. Mouth feel is a little oily and build to a nice bite. The finish is a bit disappointing but overall this is a great sipper.

Nose

Honey, strawberries?, caramel, green apple

Palate

Slick mouth feel, light bodied, pleasant kick to let you know it's a bourbon, lightly sweet, woody, slightly tart, earthy

Finish

Leather, light wood char

General description

Typical bourbon flavors, vanilla and oak but with some nice sweet caramel too. Better going back after the bottle had been open for a bit.

General description

Bold spices and caramel smoothness underneath, an intriguing combination.

General description

nice rye and smokey Carmel

Nose

Leather and dried fruit with a slight hint of citrus and smoky oak

Palate

Spicy rye with soft leathered cherries fading to smoked caramel

Finish

A memorable finish, rich with brown sugar and Kentucky tradition

General description

pretty big flavor for a $40 bottle. flavor profile was spot on to what was described on the bottle. spicy rye flavor definitely came through for me and enjoyed the finish. different bourbon profile for my collection!

General description

Better product that the parent company makes. Nice on the rocks.