Single barrel whiskeys are an expression of distinction and power. Every cask is different. Many make good ingredients, but only some possess the particular character and balance to make a worthy single barrel bottling.
While marrying barrels for Stellum Bourbon and Stellum Rye, we occasionally identify specific barrels that we feel speak strongly alone. We set these barrels aside and bottle them at their true cask strength. Each is very much an individual experience, an unfiltered expression of one specific aging rather than a blend.
We offer Stellum single barrels as unique and exclusive picks for stores, clubs, and private gatherings. We also offer bottle-by-bottle Stellum single barrels in select markets.
Serpens – Selections made in the Spring and Summer of 2021 95% Rye/5% Barley Malt
What Gary Says
Nose: Rye spice, mint, bit of dill, cedar, caramel, toffee, subtle toasted oak, citrus tilting from orange to grapefruit. Palate: Dark sweetness (molasses?) with blood orange, cloves, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper. Finish: Moderately long, drying with mint, brown sugar and orange spice. Comments: A really robust rye, where the nose presents squarely in the 95% rye mash bill quadrant, but the palate took a left turn with a surprisingly dark sweetness note. I found this worked really well in a Vieux Carré, although it was delicious neat as well. Bit of water thickens it up nicely, and brings the orange notes more into focus.
“Honey Badger!” sounds cute, but don’t mess with it. This 14-year-old Canadian Rye clocks in at 148.3 proof. It has a charming nose of honey and white flowers, but like it’s namesake, it devours its prey. There are only 72 bottles of “Honey Badger!”, so act fast!
What Gary Says
Nose: Charred oak, honey, caramel, savory herbal notes, orange with a mineral note. Palate: Warm, sweet with mint, caramel, savory notes with orange, cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg. Finish: Moderately long, drying with oak and caramel. Comments: A really robust and intense rye, with some sweetness but a lot of savory spice going on. Love that balance! The sample bottle I received didn’t note the details (I thought the nose was ‘a tad hot’ but given the ABV, it really isn’t!). This is a lovely rye whiskey, and takes water really well, thickening up, amping the orange and caramel notes, while toning the edges (but not taming it too much). Only 72 bottles, so probably won’t find this again, but if you run across it in the wild – don’t be afraid of the honey badger!
Yellowstone Family Recipe Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
50% ABV $70 Website We would like to thank Limestone Branch Distillery and BYRNE PR for sending us samples to review.
What the Distillery Says
Limestone Branch Distillery is launching Yellowstone Family Recipe, a craft-distilled bourbon honoring 150 years of Beam- and Dant-family distilling traditions. The new bourbon, created by Limestone Branch Distillery Master Distiller Stephen Beam, will be available at retail in three allocations throughout 2022 – April, August and fourth quarter – with a limited total production of 6,000 cases. Bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV), Yellowstone Family Recipe will have a suggested retail price of $69.99.
With plans to be offered annually, Yellowstone Family Recipe provides a perfect complement to the Yellowstone brand family, which includes Yellowstone Select and Yellowstone Limited Edition bourbons. Consumers of Yellowstone Family Recipe can expect a nose of toasted caramel, candied nuts, tobacco and oak; a bold Kentucky straight bourbon flavor that includes citrus, toasted oak and hints of marzipan and spice; and a medium, nutty finish.
Inspired by a recipe found in notes from Beam’s grandfather, Guy Beam, and containing cloned yeast using DNA from a yeast jug belonging to Beam’s great-grandfather, Minor Case Beam, Yellowstone Family Recipe reflects the original Yellowstone Bourbon mash bill and carries its original namesake’s six-year age statement. It is this recipe that Stephen Beam has been distilling at Limestone Branch Distillery since 2015 and is now ready to share with the world.
“Even before opening the doors at Limestone Branch Distillery, I dreamed about producing a bourbon that was faithful to old family recipes and maintained my family’s heritage and tradition of distilling,” said Beam. “Yellowstone Family Recipe Bourbon is the culmination of decades of dreaming and more than 10 years of effort at the distillery. I believe bourbon lovers will enjoy drinking Yellowstone Family Recipe as much as I enjoyed recreating it!”
A pre-launch of Yellowstone Family Recipe will take place beginning in April at retail locations in Montana and Wyoming – with availability at Lebanon, Kentucky’s Limestone Branch Distillery and retail locations in the state of Kentucky following shortly thereafter – to honor the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park. A limited allocation of Yellowstone Family Recipe will be available across the US in August, with the remaining allocation rolling out in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Tasting Notes Nose: Toasted caramel, tobacco, oak and candied nuts Palate: Bold Kentucky straight bourbon flavors with citrus and toasted oak. Hints of marzipan and spice Finish: Medium, nutty
What Gary Says
Nose: Funky, pencil erasers, tobacco, mineral notes, freshly shoveled earth, caramel, mixed nuts and raw almonds. Palate: Corny with vanilla, caramel, nutty baking spices. Finish: Moderately long with corn syrup, caramel and tobacco. Comments: For a 6 year old, 50% ABV bourbon, this is quite dark and really corny (guessing that the mash bill has a lot of corn, maybe over 75%?). There is a funky note on the nose that stands out. Some air time helps it dissipate some, but I revisited this multiple times over a couple of weeks and each time that was a prominent note, and was a bit off-putting. It did remind me a bit of dusty bourbon I had tried where I presumed the seal was bad, although maybe this is what the older yeast strains produced. Just not in my wheelhouse compared to other Yellowstone offerings. The funk is mainly on the nose, with the palate falling more in line with a traditional (although corny) bourbon.
