November 2023

Yellowstone Bourbon Finished in Toasted Staves

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Yellowstone Toasted
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Toasted Staves

50% ABV
$50
Website
Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Toasted Staves
We would like to thank Limestone Branch Distillery and BYRNE PR for sending us samples to review.

What the Distillery Says

ST. LOUIS (Oct. 9, 2023) – Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Toasted Staves – the first release within the brand’s Special Finishes Collection and the latest inspiration from Limestone Branch Distillery Master Distiller Stephen Beam – is set to hit retail shelves in October. Aged four years and bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV), Yellowstone Toasted will be available nationwide at a suggested retail price of $49.99 per 750-ml bottle.

Yellowstone Toasted starts with the brand’s traditional bourbon mash bill, which is then stave finished. Beam, a seventh-generation master distiller, hand-selected a combination of five different staves – high toast, American oak double-toast, vanilla, rick house and spice rack – to get the desired flavor profile.

The resulting bourbon features a nose of toasted caramel and vanilla with hints of fall spices and cinnamon; a medium body with notes of walnut, toffee, black tea and white pepper; and a crisp finish highlighted by cocoa, tobacco and oak.

“The Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection is a great way to honor more than 150 years of bourbon heritage while still keeping things fresh and exciting,” said Beam. “I began experimenting with toasted barrels in 2016, 2017, and 2018 with Yellowstone Limited Edition releases and again more recently with distillery-exclusive Yellowstone Toasted Single Barrel. My experience helped in crafting what stave flavors to use and at what percentage to get the right flavor profile for Yellowstone Toasted. I can’t wait for consumers to try this latest full-time member of the Yellowstone Bourbon family.”

Yellowstone Toasted packaging features the brand’s iconic bottle and Roosevelt Arch artwork, as well as a more prominent version of the Yellowstone brand name and a Special Finishes Collection call-out. The bottle’s brown top-wrap helps to differentiate Yellowstone Toasted Bourbon from other Yellowstone variants.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, toasted oak, baked apple crisp, anise, nutmeg, cinnamon and citrus zest.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, caramel, chocolate, walnuts, brown sugar, oak, pepper and cinnamon.
Finish: Moderately long, syrupy with honey, caramel and spices
Comments:  This is a really nice, spicy bourbon! Lots of spice notes with an edge but not too sharp. Drinks nicely neat, although a few drops of water bring out some nice nutty chocolate notes. The spice on this also lends it to fit in nicely in a variety of cocktails that call for bourbon or rye.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Remus Gatsby Reserve 2023 15 Years Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey

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Remus Gatsby Reserve 2023 15 Years Old
Straight Bourbon Whiskey

49.05% ABV
$200
Website
Remus Gatsby Reserve 2023 15 Years Straight Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us samples to review.

What the Producer Says

ST. LOUIS (Sept. 19, 2023) – Ross & Squibb Distillery announced the return of the most-limited
member of the Remus Bourbon family: Remus Gatsby Reserve 2023 Edition. Released to celebrate F. Scott Fitzgerald’s legendary novel, “The Great Gatsby”, a century ago – from the events in 1922 that inspired the novel to its publication in 1925 – Remus Gatsby Reserve is bottled at 98.1 proof (49.05% ABV) and offered in ultra-limited quantities at a minimum suggested retail price of $199.99 per 750-ml bottle.

Crafted by Master Distiller Ian Stirsman and the team at Ross & Squibb Distillery, Remus Gatsby Reserve contains some of the 175-year-old Lawrenceburg, Indiana, distillery’s finest 15-year-old reserves of straight bourbon whiskey. This year, Remus Gatsby Reserve features two bourbon mash bills (75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt; and 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% barley malt) and is offered at cask strength. Hitting shelves this October, Remus Gatsby Reserve leads with aromas of caramel, candied dark fruit and saddle leather, with slight brown sugar and very sweet candied notes. The taste profile is characterized by flavors of caramel, oak, dark fruit syrup, candied raisins, char and brown sugar, while the finish lingers with notes of saddle leather, cherry and oak.

“We have produced great bourbon whiskey over the years at Ross & Squibb, and the Remus Bourbon brand has provided our team an opportunity to showcase some of our best,” said Stirsman. “Remus Gatsby reserve provides a special opportunity to showcase the best of the best – including two different mash bills of some of the finest 15-year-old bourbons in our reserves. Remus Gatsby Reserve made quite an impact when it was launched last year, and the 2023 Edition is likely to follow suit as a highly sought-after member of the Remus Bourbon family.”

The inaugural 2022 expression of Remus Gatsby Reserve achieved some of the highest recognition in the bourbon category, earning Gold in the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits competition, the 2023 Bartenders Spirits Awards competition and the 2023 SIP Awards. Additionally, the 2022 Edition of Remus Gatsby Reserve earned Platinum status at the 2023 ASCOT Awards and was named “Bourbon of the Year” by Robb Report, as well as one of “The Best Rare Bourbons That are Actually Worth the Cost” by Inside Hook magazine.

What Gary Says

Nose: Caramel, toffee, oak, vanilla sponge cake, honey, worn leather, brown sugar, cherry, baking spices and a hint of blackberry.
Palate: Thick mouthfeel with caramel, oak, dark fruit notes (raising and blackberries), cinnamon, raw honey, chocolate and a bit of molasses.
Finish: Long and drying with oak, leather and black cherry.
Comments: The nose on this is lovely with depth and complexity. The palate is almost too oaky for my taste, but some lovely notes as well. The inaugural release of Remus Gatsby Reserve 15 Years Old last year was really nice, and also low proof for a cask strength bourbon, and while I don’t have any left to compare side by side, this is a bit different. Like last years, it doesn’t want for water, but a bit changes things up, bringing the fruit notes on the nose forward including a tropical slant towards pineapple and coconut. Another really solid limited edition offering!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Pure Kentucky XO Kentucky Straight Bourbon

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Pure Kentucky XO
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

53.5% ABV
$45
Website
Pure Kentucky CX Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

tasting notes
Aptly named, because when you think of Kentucky, you think Bourbon. The nose is toffee, fruit, eucalyptus and oak. The palate is cinnamon, toffee, caramel, pepper, oak, and spices.
tasting notes courtesy of:
Bill Thomas, Jack Rose Dining Saloon

What Gary Says

Nose:  Salted caramel, fudge, vanilla wafers, charred oak, grilled corn, brown sugar and mixed nuts.
Palate:  Chewy mouthfeel, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate brownie with a hint of peanut brittle.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with oak, chocolate, and pepper.
Comments:  Just a rock solid bourbon right here. This makes an excellent Old Fashioned too. I loved the earlier version of this label, which I’m certain included older stocks than it does now (while not age stated, Willett has only been actively distilling the last 10 or so years, and I think the older renditions of this included stocks of 12+ years old). Either way, this has a very similar profile to what I remember and is quite nice. I do get some corn notes which show its youth, and the peanut brittle note is nice (although subtle; this isn’t as strong as on some Beam products). This proof point is my sweet spot for bourbon which helps, but the blending of barrels from different ages and I’m sure different warehouse locations all go into hitting that profile.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Frank August Small Batch Bourbon

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Frank August Small Batch
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$70
Website
Frank August Small Batch Bourbon

What the Producer Says

Frank. The state of being open, honest and sincere. A philosophy we have built our brand upon. Bourbon is America’s native spirit, but as intrinsically steeped in the American experience as bourbon is, it has predominantly had one story; one of origin. Respectfully, we believe there is a more expansive story to tell, one that belongs to all of us because it will be told by all of us. Frank August exists to evolve the identity of bourbon by uniting authenticity with modernity. Taking the best of where we’ve been and projecting those ideals into where we have yet to go. So let the story of bourbon continue; as the story of Frank August begins.

Frank August is a call to be open and undisguised. An invitation to come together and share in America’s spirit.

We believe bourbon has a more expansive story to tell. One that belongs to all of us because it will be told by all of us.

Frank August is a modern expression of what bourbon is…what it can represent.

America’s Spirit. Be Frank.

SMALL BATCH: 10-15 BARRELS
750 ML
DISTILLED, AGED & BOTTLED IN KENTUCKY

TASTING NOTES:
APPEARANCE: A rich auburn with full legs that beautifully coats the glass.
NOSE: Frank August’s Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon opens with hints of caramel and vanilla that are balanced with warm oak and mild baking spices which warm the senses.
PALATE: Echoes those initial sweet caramel and vanilla notes on the front of your tongue, with cinnamon and rye bread spices coming forward, as it gradually transitions to the back of your tongue. At 100 proof, it is a perfect balance of heat and smoothness that warms your mouth, while hints of brown and malt sugars begin to present themselves.
FINISH: As flavors of vanilla, oak and baking spices transition through all senses, it leaves a medium – long finish, wanting you to pour another glass.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, vanilla, oak, hint of chocolate and wood spices, bit of anise and leather.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel with caramel, vanilla, nutty with cinnamon, a hint of milk chocolate and fruit.
Finish:  Moderately long and damp with honey, caramel and trailing spice notes.
Comments: This is a decent bourbon. There’s a bit of complexity to it above and beyond a $20 bottle, and maybe the small batches leads to high variability so some are much better than others. I was underwhelmed – not that there was anything objectionable other than the price. If this was half the price, or even $40, I’d say it stands-out.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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About that 700 mL Bottle . . .

/ / Gary's Blog

We’re all adults here (or should be if you’re reading a whiskey/whisky blog).

Should anyone be surprised to start seeing domestic offerings at 700 mL versus 750 mL? No, although I’m sure some will feign shock and awe at the prospect.

Am I crazy about it? No, but I’m not backing down from my elation over the change in the Standards of Fill.

Have the floodgates opened with more independent bottlings here in the United States? Maybe not as much as I’d hoped – although supply chain, tariffs, inflation and other factors are likely contributing to that.

Will we see a price break when folks convert bottles from 750 to 700? I’d bet not. But I still think it is the right move as it makes production more efficient and opens up more markets to producers. A smaller producer who can’t afford to buy inventory of two different sized bottles just to be able to sell in other markets now won’t have to worry about that.

In the case of my recent review, one of the first domestic offerings I’ve seen in 700 mL – I’d note that this is a new offering; not a migration of an existing brand that was sold at 750 mL previously. A 6 year, bottled-in-bond rye, at $50. If they kept the ‘price per ounce’ the same and offered it in a 750 mL, it’d be $53.57. Does that difference impact my desire to buy it? Not a chance. I get that as the prices go up – the difference does as well, that’s just math. Essentially for a brand migrating, the customer is losing 1.7 oz in the bargain (and if you’re talking about a $150 bottle, now that gaps is just over $10).

My guess is that given the current inflationary environment, the big brands will start to make that move and keep prices level (which I get is ‘shrinkflation’). It isn’t that I think the big brands are altruistic or any shit like that, but rather that it’s a convenient excuse to make the cut and explain why they aren’t dropping prices when they do (although if you’re the last one to make that move, it might be shrewd to discount and call out the other greedy bastards).

At the end of the day, your daily drinker of $20-$30, you’re talking about a difference of $1.50-$2. Let’s be honest – if (let’s say Jack Daniels, or Jim Beam, or Evan Williams) is your drink of choice, you’re not switching to one of those others over $1.50 difference. That’s not why you’re with that brand.

I do hope that we will start to see more and more offerings here in the States in the not too distant future. Offerings which we could only have dreamt of before (or paid exorbitant amounts to have shipped from the far side of the pond). Again, not because I think the industry is altruistic – but because there’s a lot of money to be made in doing so. Just wasn’t enough to support bottling at 750 mL just for one goofy market.

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