Yellowstone Single Barrel Bourbon – JJ’s 2nd Edition
When discussing our personalized whiskies, it’s hard to really purport the relevance and the importance of these items without anecdotal support. It’s why we do it. We like to tell stories. The stories behind the personal selections provide much more to the nature of these whiskies than just the whiskey itself.
I say this because it’s important. There are a lot of single barrel and personalized blends in the market these days. So much that it’s getting tougher and tougher to sell them because there are so many options out there.
We are currently sitting on about seventeen different store picks and personalized blends at JJ’s right now, which is a new phenomenom for us at JJ’s because we are so used to them flying out the door not long after they have arrived.
So why is this? Partly because of the glut of product that has entered the market in the recent months. Everybody wants to offer store picks now because of the trend that WE started almost a decade ago in this market. They are also expensive. It’s gotten to be somewhat cost prohibitive for some folks to acquire the vast number of bottles that are now available because the price has gone up. There are also a large number of other new products on our shelves to choose from. Most of which are solid whiskies.
So what’s my point? At JJ’s we strive to acquire store picks and personalized blends that are exceptional in quality and anecdotal support. We don’t just grab everything that is available because we want to have the most or the latest thing to be offered. We have actually said no to more store picks this year than in any other year, because we just didn’t feel like the quality was there. We will continue to be committed to the program, with scrutiny, but we need your help to do that.
To see our current list of store picks and personalized barrels, click here – Single Barrels & Personalized Blends – JJ’s Wine, Spirits & Cigars (jjswine.com)
Back in March, our Chef Kaleb and I took a quick trip to Kentucky to find some whiskies. Kaleb hadn’t been on a whiskey trip yet, and with the two picks we had on the books, I thought his unique perspective would work well in deciding on these two barrels.
As I indicated, we selected two barrels. Both from the LuxCo Portfolio. The first was Ezra Brooks Single Barrel #2, which we are currently sold out of. The other was today’s pick, the Yellowstone Single Barrel 2nd Edition.
While on this trip, we had some great quiality time. We talked about food. Ate some really good food. And got some much needed R & R as the couple of months prior to this were a bit of a grind.
As Kaleb had never done a pick before, I guided him through the process, but really wanted him to reach deep into his culinary talents to come up with flavor profiles appealed to his sense of flavor balancing and depth of flavor. I think we struck gold with both picks, but the Yellowstone pick especially.
We had NINE samples to choose from. Three from each barrel at different proofs. So, not only did we get to decide which barrel we like best, we also got to fine-tune that flavor by selecting a proof that worked best for the whiskey.
Yellowstone is an interest visit. If you blink, you will miss it. It’s in Lebanon, KY near Loretto, KY where Maker’s Mark Warehouses dominate the landscape. The story told is that D. H. Taylor & Co. salesman Charles Townsend, while traveling out west did an informal poll of his customers and they thought a brand of Bourbon named for the newly opened Yellowstone National Park would be a brand that the people out west would purchase. It was decided to have some of Dant’s Bourbon branded as Yellowstone and it was a success.
The rest of the storied history of what is now called the Limestone Branch Distillery operated by Steve Beam and owned, in part by LuxCo (MGP), can be found here – Brand History: Yellowstone Bourbon – You will note that they still use some of the original recipes of the Dant family, who are also distant relatives of the Beam’s. It’s a good read. Enjoy!
- Name: Yellowstone Single Barrel Bourbon – JJ’s 2nd Edition
- Country of Origin/Locale: Lebanon, KY
- Proof: 115.0
- Glass: Glencairn or Double Old Fashioned Glass over ice
- Temperature: Room or Chilled
- Cocktail Options: Plenty!
- Available: Yes. Retail and in JJ’s Bar
- Price: List Price – $92.29 JJ’s VIP Price – $59.99
Tom’s Tasting Notes: The fun thing about Yellowstone is the crafting of the barrel based on numerous variables. Aroma, Flavor and Proof. We don’t get to pick our proof with any other barrel pick, so it not only makes for a better experience, it makes for a more fine-tuned flavor profile. This one is “beefy”, it has some savory character to it, that I can only surmise was Kaleb’s influence in the selection. Aromas of caramel, vanilla and smoked meat hit my nose. It’s subtle, but it’s there. The flavors are spice, burnt caramel and BBQ. The finish is long, with a big hug.
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