Review

Yellowstone 2018 Limited Edition

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Yellowstone 2018 Limited Edition
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Finished in No 3 Char Wine Cask

50.5% ABV
$100
Website

What the Producer Says

Limestone Branch Distillery introduces the 2018 variety of Yellowstone® Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon, the third and final barrel finishing experiment by Limestone Branch Distillery, set to hit the market in October. This year’s final limited edition combines hand-selected, Kentucky Straight bourbons, ranging from four to 12 years in aging and finished in No. 3 char wine casks. Same as with the 2017 edition, this year’s special edition also includes Limestone Branch Distillery’s own distillate, carefully made with their signature heirloom white corn.

“The Yellowstone Limited Edition variants have been an incredible outlet for my creativity and flair for experimenting,” says Steve Beam, president and distiller of Limestone Branch Distillery. “We started the process in 2016 and I am proud of the three limited editions we created – and how they are linked to each other.”

Beam tells the story of the evolution of these three variants. “In 2016, we finished our Limited Edition bourbon in specially selected new wine barrels, which lent their special flavor to that year’s celebrated bourbon, but their journey had barely begun. Later that year, after the bourbon was dumped and bottled, the same 28 barrels were lightly charred and we filled them with our 2017 Limited Edition bourbon. This year, we took the very same barrels – now rich with complexity – and deeply charred them before filling them with our 2018 Limited Edition.”

The barrel journey, and the hand-selected bourbon used in these products, created a rich flavor profile. Beam notes that the heavy char over bourbon-wet oak produced a rich palate of burnt sugar, deep caramel and a lingering essence of crème brulée.

Bottled at 101 proof and available in 750ml bottles signed by Steve Beam and nestled in commemorative tubes, the 2018 Yellowstone Limited Edition marks the final piece of this award-winning trilogy.

Approximately 12,000 bottles of this bourbon are being produced this fall at Limestone Branch Distillery, and the suggested retail price is $99.99.

What Gary Says
Nose:  Vanilla, caramel, allspice, sour oak with hints of cigar paper, hazelnuts, milk chocolate with a subtle wine twang.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, honey, salted caramel with hazelnuts that sharpens with spicy wine notes and dried apricots.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with some pepper spice at the end.
Comments:  A lot of folks are experimenting with different finishes, and bourbon has such an intense flavor – some folks I think wind up going over the top.  This is not one of those cases.  The wine cask finish is done very well, hot heavy handed in the least, but not so light that you don’t recognize it is there.  In my opinion, this is where “finishing” is meant to be.  I imagine that this would be a delicious bourbon even without that extra bit, but I’m delighted that they’ve taken care in the balance.  I hadn’t tried the previous Yellowstone limited editions so unfortunately can’t compare, but on its own this is a very well crafted whiskey.  If you are a fan of finished bourbons in particular, I’d push this up to a ‘Must Try’.
Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

We would like to thank Limestone Branch and Common Ground PR for sending us samples to review.

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Old Ezra Barrel Strength

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Ezra Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Aged 7 Years
58.5% ABV
$40
Website

What the Producer Says

Luxco introduces Old Ezra Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey this fall. Aged a full seven years for a more robust flavor, this bourbon is bottled at barrel strength of 117 proof. This allows the bourbon to develop bold, intense flavors with the perfect balance of oak, caramel, cinnamon and pepper, with a long, warm finish.

TASTING NOTES
Sweet floral notes with undertones of vanilla, cinnamon, and fine wood, ending in a warm, buttery finish.

INGREDIENTS
Corn, rye and barley

What Gary Says
Nose:  Sharp, oaky spice, salted caramel with vanilla, hints of chocolate and toffee; bit of water brings out the spice notes more with allspice and nutmeg.
Palate:  Warm, sweet vanilla toffee with caramel drizzle, dark chocolate, some citrus spice followed by cinnamon with an edge; bit of water amps up the toffee and chocolate while taming the spicy edge.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with some pepper spice notes.
Comments:  I’ve always been a fan of Old Ezra 7yr 101 bourbon, which is (or was) an incredible value at $17.  If you’re familiar with that, picture that bourbon with the volume cranked all the way up. Just a classic bourbon nose and palate, but with more toffee and on the spicier/edgier side (which I particularly like).  Takes a bit of water well, and is nicely balanced – and all things considered quite reasonably priced.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Luxco and Common Ground PR for sending us samples to review.

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Aberlour 17 yr Double-Cask Cask Strength

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Aberlour 17 yr Double-Cask Cask Strength
55.3% ABV
Website

What the Bottle Says
Aberlour Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Double Cask
First Fill Sherry and Bourbon Cask
17 Years Old

Nose: Hints of cinnamon, baked apples and ginger intermingled with luscious dark chocolate and treacle toffee.
Taste: Rich and tangy on the pallet at first, followed by a burst of sweet orange and apricot flavors with delicate dark chocolate notes.
Finish: Long finish with a lingering spice.

What Gary Says
Nose:  Thick, rich sherry dark fruit – raisins, oranges, honey spent fireworks, burnt toast, subtle nuttiness.
Palate:  Rich sweet, creamy mouthfeel that then sharpens, dark fruit/plum jam with notes of oak; water brings the sweet more to raisins with a pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderate to long in length, sweet yet tart while drying.
Comments:  Another pickup by Richard while visiting (no mention of on their web-site, and no price).  By comparison with the Aberlour 17yr CS, the sherry influence here is pretty apparent, but that smokey, spent matches, sulfur note is also still present, even when adding water (water tamped the heat a bit, but not the smokiness as much). If you like a really smokey whiskey, this might be the bees knees. I found it to be better balanced than the other though.
Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Aberlour 17 yr Cask Strength

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Aberlour 17 yr Cask Strength
The Distillery Reserve Collection
50.2% ABV
Website

What the Bottle Says
The Distillery Reserve Collection
[Non Chill-Filtered]
Aberlour Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
Aged 17 Years
The Distillery Reserve collection is a limited release of rare and exceptional whiskies from Chivas Brothers single malt whisky distilleries. Each release is bottled at cask strength.
Distilled: 12th December 1997 Bottled: 8th July 2015
Cask Nos: 17749,17756-58, 17771
1 of 1380 50cl bottles

What Gary Says
Nose:  Sharp/astringent, tart cherries, spongecake, hazelnuts with spent matches; bit of water brings out more citrus notes with the cherries and hints of caramel with dark chocolate.
Palate:  Subtle sweetness w/ oranges, apricots and honey, then sharpens to a sulphury, oaky, spicy tobacco note; hints of toffee and cherry; bit of water brings out the oranges and honey a bit more.
Finish:  Moderately long, and drying with smoke.
Comments:  This was a distillery exclusive that Richard picked up while visiting a few years ago, and as such no mention of it on their web-site (and not sure what the price paid was). This drank pretty hot for the proof, and has a lot of sulfur, spent matches. It does take water well, although the smoke was still fairly acrid for me. Next going to review an Aberlour 17yr Double-Cask cask strength, which was an interesting comparison.
Rating: Average

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Old Bardstown Bottled In Bond

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Bardstown Bottled In Bond
50% ABV
$22 – $25
Website

What the Distiller Says
Tasting notes courtesy of Bill Thomas, Jack Rose Dining Saloon
The nose is “Fun Dip” candy, that sugary stick dipped into cherry flavoring. The palate is a cherry hard candy, an oily mouth feel, vanilla caramel candies and notes of oak. This is the best value in Bourbon for 2016.
Please Note: This Bourbon is exclusively available in Kentucky.

What Gary Says
Nose: Vanilla wafers, grape bubble gum, young malt, a hint of anise with a sharp oakey solvent note.
Palate:  Tart cherries, caramel, a fruity/grape juice note with cracked pepper; a thin mouthfeel.
Finish:  Short and dry with pepper.
Comments:  I’m a fan of bottled-in-bond bourbon. While four years old may still be on the young side, there are a lot of solid bourbons that carry the bottled-in-bond designation. This didn’t remind me of any of them. Honestly, if given this blind and asked to guess what it was, “bourbon” wouldn’t be one of my first three guesses! Some have posted the mashbill for this as having 15% malted barley, which if true is a higher barley content than most other bourbons out there – and may account for the unique aroma and flavor. I’m not sure I can say it is exactly off-putting, since I particularly enjoy finding unique and interesting drams to ponder over! But if you’re looking for a classic bourbon profile – I think many might be disappointed.
Rating: Probably Pass

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