Stephen Beam received the Yellowstone label when he merged the Limestone Branch Distillery with Luxco. He has a family heritage in the brand as he is related to the Dant family on his mother’s side of the family. He has made Yellowstone a premium brand, rebuilding its reputation from a mid-range Bourbon back to a top shelf brand as it was under the Glenmore ownership. He has used the brand to make some experimental whiskeys such as the rum cask finished Bourbon in this bottle. Beam has a philosophy that the finish should complement the whiskey being finished and not overpower the whiskey. I too, believe in this philosophy and that was why I was excited to try this new expression of Yellowstone. I received a bottle from his brand ambassador, Stephen Fante the other day and Matt and I sat down to taste it. Here are our tasting notes.
Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection Rum Cask Bourbon
Proof: 100
Age: No Age Statement
Nose:
- Mike: Simple nose – vanilla, brown sugar and oak wood.
- Matt: Vanilla, cornbread, cherry wood and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Vanilla, apples. Pears, baking spices and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the brown sugar comes forward to join the party. Tasted with a pecan and caramel apples, nutmeg and lots of oak dominate the taste.
- Matt: Creamy French vanilla, banana, cherries and oak wood. The dried cranberry made it too sweet with vanilla, bananas and red hot cinnamon candy. The pecan brought out flavors of caramel, brown sugar, banana bread and oak wood.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak wood and baking spices. The dried cranberry added lingering pear fruit to the finish. The pecan made the finish long with oak, nutmeg and lingering caramel.
- Matt: Medium long with a floral spice note and oak wood. The dried cranberry made the finish long with oak wood and cinnamon red hot candy. The pecan made the finish long with oak and floral spice.
I would pair this whiskey with a cigar that has a lot of vanilla and tobacco in the smoke. I would reach for a Rocky Patel Decade cigar.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller