Warm caramel | Blueberry | Leather | Oak | Hint of fresh mint

Butterscotch | Raisin | Brown sugar | Vanilla | Cinnamon | Sweet | Lacks body

Dry oak | Cinnamon | Milk chocolate | Cherry | Lingering spice | Spice forward | Flavors drop off quickly

Yellowstone Recollection Bourbon is an 8 year old sourced bourbon that was crafted by Master Distiller Stephen Beam. Previously a distillery exclusive, Yellowstone Bourbon is now available nationwide. It’s packaged in a gorgeous decorative-style decanter bottle inspired by those found in saloons in the 1800s. The release is meant to further highlight Yellowstone’s brand heritage, and its ties to Yellowstone National Park.

Yellowstone continues to feel like a brand that's really trying hard to be better than it is. Each new release is well thought out and is accompanied by strong branding and focus. It seems that the brand is being held back simply by the sourcing of its bourbon - and nowhere is that more evident than in Yellowstone Recollection Bourbon.

In what will likely go down as one of the best-looking bottles of 2026, Yellowstone Recollection Bourbon’s decenter throwback style features a very hand-painted look - imperfections and all - and it is truly inspired. It features Kentucky-sourced bourbon with a respectable 8 year old age statement and is set at 110 proof. The problem is you'll want to love what's in the bottle as much as the bottle itself, and that simply won’t be the case.

The bourbon’s aroma begins in a very appealing place, offering warm caramel against blueberry, leather, oak, and a hint of fresh mint. The palate layers in rich butterscotch with raisin, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. It's sweet and serviceable, but lacks necessary body. The finish dishes up dry oak much too quickly, before cinnamon, milk chocolate, and cherry can offer adequate balance. Lingering spice prevails in the end, but much of the flavors dissipate much too quickly.

Yellowstone Recollection Bourbon is a solid bourbon, but when the bottle is so striking, you expect the bourbon to be on equal footing. Of course, that wasn’t the case with original decanters, often as a vehicle for putting subpar bourbon in a flashy bottle to offload it as quickly as possible. That same sentiment doesn’t hold in 2026 as it did in the 70s/80s when decanters were popular and certainly not likely in the 1800s. The bourbon’s price point is high for the sip it delivers, but it's up to you how much extra value the bottle itself is worth.