Hannah’s Yellowstone Select Bourbon Review
Original review written on October 31, 2019
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
This one is interesting with an herbal base, predominantly in grass. Spices and fruits are detectable. While herbal bourbons may not be for everyone, it’s one of my favorite profiles, just behind the fruits. 88/100
VITALS:
– Made in: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Limestone Branch/Luxco (sourced)
– Classification: Blended Bourbon Whiskey
– Age: undisclosed (possibly a blend of sourced 4 yr. old and 7 yr. old)
– Mash Bill: undisclosed
– Casks: new charred oak; undisclosed char
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– ABV: 46.5% (93 proof)
– Price: $39.95 USD in Idaho
(Limited geographic availability)
Visit limestonebranch.com for more information
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.
Check out his review for this bourbon here!
SETTING:
In perfect timing for the season (Halloween if you’re from the future), I imagine an old, eerie shack with a black cat, a broom, and bushels of herbs hanging from the rafters of musty, old wood. It’s night time and moonlight is trickling in through some fogged up windows. You’ve got your feet propped up next to a roaring fire, and you feel as though you’ve carved our a rare, special piece of your own personal heaven.
Photo by Stéphane Juban on Unsplash
NOSE:
This one is very herbal in nature, and it’s quite a fresh herb. Maybe potpourri. It isn’t aggressive, but I imagine you could get carried away with it very easily. The hint of black pepper and rye (not as fresh as the herbs) make the whole spirit easily compatible with grilled chicken (should you eat with your drink). Then again, this is just the nose. However, with other, subtler notes of caramel and oak, maybe I would consider pork.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: There is a tingle there that morphs into richness.
– Balance: I’d say a pretty good balance. Nothing seems off.
– Visual: Tawny colored, clinging droplets with fast-dropping legs.
– Taste: While being aromatic in a fresh sense, the first sip is full of traditional bourbon warmth. Mixed with that warmth, eventually I feel as though I’m able to detect a grassier note that’s both summery and sweet. Other sups coax out the black pepper and rye from the nose though this also dissipates quickly back into the bourbon’s comfort zone of grass and herbs.
Greater time taken between sips makes me think there’s a light fruit leather in there, maybe like apricot? At the same time, my brain thinks there’s a dark fruit here too (fig?), but it is not the main attraction, and I can’t distinguish it further.
With a Kentucky chew, I’m instantly salivating. The peppery bit explodes, but it falls back much more calmly. Strangely enough, a macadamia nut snuck in for some hearty sweetness but left before I was ready.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: This finish is lo…ng. The spicy burn fades quickly, but there’s still so much left on the palate that running out of flavors seems an impossibility.
– No More: More leather comes out the further down the glass I get and the spice and fruit therefore fade a bit. Not going to lie, I do miss them. Other bitter notes come our with the leather, but it’s not bad.
The empty Glencairn is absolutely fully of oak. This is the first indication of oak in this glass.
WORTH THE PRICE?
I’d say yes.
RATING: 88/100
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