Average

Yellowstone Family Recipe Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Yellowstone Family Recipe
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$70
Website
Yellowstone Family Recipe Bourbon
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.

Rating: Average

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KOVAL Susan for President Barreled Peach Brandy

/ / Other Spirits, Review / ,

KOVAL Susan for President Barreled Peach Brandy

43% ABV
$45
Website
KOVAL Susan for President Barreled Peach Brandy

What the Distillery Says

Ethereal and delicate, the nose has surprising hints of white tea, wild flower, and bergamot. Whiskey dringers will appreciate the subtle, peppery entry resulting from the barrel-aging process, while the soft essence of peach will appeal to those with sweeter tastes. The meticulous attention to detail employed to distill Susan for President Peach Brandy pays off in the warm, round and fuzzy mouthfeel that mimics biting into a fresh peach — surprising and alluring

Susan for President commemorates the creative legacy of KOVAL co-founder and president Sonat Birnecker Hart’s Aunt Susan – an artist, sculptor, and connoisseur of finer things. As part of her artistic approach to life, she casually campaigned for President of the World, passing out calling cards adorned with humorous, often risqué illustrations and slogans. In memory of Susan, this line of specialty spirits is a posthumous way for her to continue the campaign, for as she used to say, “the beat goes on,” and there is still much beauty in this world to celebrate.

What Gary Says

DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Brandy (so read at your own risk!)
Nose:  Peach, honey, notes of tea, allspice, nutmeg, citrus notes with bergamot.
Palate:  Peaches, vanilla, honey, subtle spearmint with a hint of cinnamon.
Finish:  Short and drying with peaches and cinnamon.
Comments:  Again – NOT a brandy connoisseur, and similar to the Santa Fe Spirits Apple Brand – a bit of a one-trick pony. But this did have more complexity than that, and a bit less one dimensional. Just not enough to make me ever think of converting from whisk(e)y.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Santa Fe Apple Brandy

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Santa Fe Apple Brandy

40% ABV
$45
Website
Santa Fe Apple Brandy

What the Distillery Says

Northern New Mexico with its centuries-old fruit orchards of apple, peach, pear, and cherry has been producing top-quality brandies for years. What better way to preserve one’s crop of fruit than to ferment it into wine and distill it into brandy? The end product is like taking the mountain air, water, and earth, ripening these elements into a sweet nectar, and then distilling that nectar down to its bare essences. The finished brandy stores for years, refining its inherent complexity with age. Traditionally, it is coveted for its quality and only shared with family; it has never been publicly available.

But Colin Keegan has been looking forward to sharing the fruits of his apple orchard in Tesuque with the general public for years. Originally homesteaded by Archbishop Lamy’s groundskeeper (who is rumored to have resorted to water theft in order to keep his high-desert oasis in Tesuque thriving) the Keegans’ orchard produces apples that express the singular uniqueness of the lush, green, riparian valley at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains where they struggle to grow.

By blending his own apples with the fruit of neighboring New Mexico orchards, Colin has finally achieved his goal of producing Santa Fe Apple Brandy for the general public. Overtones of apple peel, vanilla, fruit, and cinnamon yield to hints of granitic earth, sweet water, and dry air. Each bottle is truly a treasure: a gift from the Keegan family for your enjoyment.

What Gary Says

DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Brandy (so read at your own risk!)
Nose:  Green apple, toasted oak with cinnamon and honey, slight grassy note.
Palate:  Vanilla, honey, apple cider cut with apple juice.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, damp with apples and cinnamon.
Comments:  Again – NOT a brandy connoisseur, but for me this was pretty one dimensional. If you really like apples (insert Goodwill Hunting joke here), this might be right up your alley. I do like Apples, but personally would prefer a lower ABV and sweeter apple wine over this.

Rating: Average

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McConnell’s 5 Year Old Irish Whisky

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

McConnell’s Irish Whisky Aged 5 Years

42% ABV
$30-$35
Website
McConnells 5 Year Old Irish Whisky

What the Producer Says

It’s all in the Blend: Creamy, Citrus, Floral, Fruity & Smoky.
The perfect blend between malted barley & grain and the special handpicked bourbon barrels add a delicate and subtle sweetness with a deep oak woodiness & light char to the finish.
Nose: Light citrus notes, peppered spice and vanilla undertones.
Taste: Earthy fruits, butterscotch & vanilla sweetness from the bourbon casks, white pepper followed by an oak woodiness.
Finish: Sweet, spice, oak, with lingering ripe fruits.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla sponge cake, orange creamsicle, cereal grains, touch of oak.
Palate:  Creamy vanilla, sweet malty grain, subtle lemon candy note with honey.
Finish:  Short with a bit of pepper, honey and a salty, sour oak note.
Comments:  Not objectionable, but also not particularly memorable. Both the nose and the palate have a thickness to them which I do appreciate, as well as the age statement (even if 5 years old isn’t that old – I always appreciate transparency). I enjoyed this, although the maturation in ex-bourbon casks only does leave it with less complexity. In a blind side-by-side with Jameson, whose blend includes some ex-sherry casks, I preferred the Jameson personally as it brought some fruit to the party. And given that Jameson is less expensive, I’d go that route (although if you value the packaging, this is a more attractive, heavy bottle). You may be wondering “Hey, don’t they use the ‘e’ in whiskey for Irish?”  You wouldn’t be wrong, but either is acceptable, and their site explains that the ‘e’ was added to differentiate Irish whiskey in the 1900s and their brand didn’t need such nonsense.  That’s not what Irish Distiller’s purports here, but regardless – at this point it’s really just marketing.

Rating: Average

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Benchmark Bonded Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Benchmark Bonded
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

50% ABV
$20-$23
Website
Benchmark Bonded Bourbon Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

The Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897 set strict standards for bonded whiskey. This 100 proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey aged four years to meet those standards. Enjoy the rich flavor and long smooth finish.

TASTING NOTES
A nose of citrus and honey follows through on the palate, with a touch of light oak, caramel, and vanilla.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Burnt caramel, charred oak, vanilla and tobacco.
Palate:  Vanilla, caramel, oak, cinnamon, pepper, hints of orange bitters and anise.
Finish:  Short and drying with pepper, oak and vanilla.
Comments:  I’m always happy to see more bonded offerings in the bourbon aisle, and this is about what I’d expect. Not objectionable, but also not special – and a tad sharp. Even a bit of water didn’t really do much to tamp the edges. As this is from Buffalo Trace’s mashbill 1 (shared with Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Stagg and others) which has less rye than their mashbill 2, I assume this is aged pretty high up. In a blind side-by-side-by-side against Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch (which is actually $1.5 less) and Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond ($5 less), I liked this the least of the three – finding it just too cutting/sharp and not having as much going on.

Rating: Average

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