Brothers Steve Beam and Paul Beam opened Limestone Branch Distillery in 2011. The 2017 version of Yellowstone Limited Edition is comprised of a mixture of sourced 7 and 12 year Kentucky straight bourbons mixed with Limestone Branch’s own 4 year Kentucky straight bourbon. This is the first time that Limestone Branch used their own distillate in a limited release. The blend of bourbons is finished in once-filled charred wine casks. The 2017 release consisted of 7,000-8,000 bottles.

A rich mixture of sweet toffee and baking chocolate dominate the nose with hints of malted barley and oak laying underneath. The palate comes across as thin and hot, which is unexpected following the rich nose. Rye spice, oak, leather, and sweet sugary vanilla try to compete with the heat. The heat fades away and the bourbon ends on sweeter notes of toffee, vanilla, caramel, and hints of dark berries.

This is a conundrum of a bourbon for me. The nose is rich and inviting, yet I was surprised by how much heat the palate delivered. It’s hard to tell how much influence the charred wine cask finishing had on the overall product, however there is no denying that the flavors throughout the sip are rich and inviting. I’m looking forward to seeing what each year’s limited release brings, especially as Limestone Branch transitions to using more of their own distillate.
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‍The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy ofLimestone Branch. We thank them the sample and for allowing us to review it with no strings attached.