Yellowstone Hand Picked Collection Single Barrel Bourbon

Nose - sweet creamy corn, vanilla cream and lemon, Palette - medium body, spiced lemon frosting, vanilla, some cinnamon, like creamy buttery cinnamon oatmeal Finish - cinnamon and citrus lingers, mild burn, dry and the end

Liquor Barn #2 pick, barrel #7493246, barreled 19SEP2016, bottled at 109 proof. I had to buy both bottles when I saw this, and I'm glad to find that this is a higher proof, even if it's the exact same age. I'm putting a lot of trust (and money) into Liquor Barn here and hoping that this barrel is significantly different. Compared to the other barrel, the scent is more geared towards tobacco, with the corn and oak behind it. There's also a small note of something floral, almost like what is found in gin. The initial flavor is, again, similar to standard Yellowstone, but this barrel becomes hot very quickly. Tobacco is a leading flavor, followed by the young corn, and the nice, heavily charred oak follows through. The finish is more potent, but surprisingly not as hot as the 102 proof barrel that I tried previously. Yellowstone is a bourbon that is one of the best starter "top shelf" selections you can get. This single barrel, as rare as it is, is also a great bottle to have, but only one really is worth it, especially at a bit of a steep price. Still though, Stephan Beam has a great palate for good whiskey, and his career will be tracked with great following.

Liquor Barn #1 pick, barrel #7493244, barreled 19SEP2016, bottled at 102 proof. Well, I literally just wanted beer, but no, the boys at Limestone Branch allowed single barreling of the fine Yellowstone. As such, I couldn't resist purchasing both single barrels, so as much as love supporting this distillery, I hope that these have something to stand on for the steep price they cost. It was extremely disappointing to find out that this selection was only ~4.5 years old, far less than the standard stuff of much less cost, however, the color is quite dark and potent, so that's a good start. Not surprisingly, raw corn and grain is a prominent note of the scent, but there is also very little water present, if any at all, so the uncut aspect also presents some nuttiness and toffee. The oak is standard, if not slightly more charred and vanilla-forward. The initial flavor is very familiar from the standard Yellowstone, but the sweet corn is much more evident here. The oak is very powerful, and likely showcases that this is indeed uncut or close to it. Nuttiness, tobacco, and just a bit of rye help to close out the finish, with a very impressive inner burn for only 102 proof. I was worried that such a low age from a single barrel would come across far too young, and although the grain flavor is very prominent, the oak is far more present, and very welcome. As far as I'm concerned, good, charred oak and high proof bourbon create a good base recipe for something worth having. Longer age improves this, but Limestone Branch has a certain quality of grain that they use that allows them to get away with younger bourbons and still attract a crowd. Happy to support the brand, and the price is good for the one bottle, but perhaps stacking different barrels may not pay off.

Lotto bite. Ice next time

I really enjoyed this. I immediately got apple/raisin on the nose. The taste was a warm buttered pretzel with toffee and caramel. Would recommend.