Bourbon. Law. Author.
Posted on October 21, 2020 by Brian Haara
Great things continue to happen in Lebanon, Kentucky at Limestone Branch Distillery. It seems like forever ago when I first met Steve Beam, they had about 50 barrels of aging bourbon, and the gift shop sold a dozen flavors of sweet “moonshine.” In recent years, we’ve had a regular supply of the standard expression of Yellowstone, along with Minor Case straight rye whiskey finished in Sherry casks, and each fall a limited release, always showcasing some innovative twist.
This year, Limestone Branch finished a seven-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey in French Armagnac casks. Some other brands have toyed with Armagnac cask finishing, but this Yellowstone—even at relatively low limited edition distribution numbers—is probably the most ambitious effort yet.
Yellowstone Limited Edition Tasting Notes
| Bourbon: | Yellowstone Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in Armagnac casks |
| Distillery: | Undisclosed |
| Age: | 7 years |
| ABV: | 50.5% (101 proof) |
| Cost: | $100.00 |
Appearance:
Light amber gold.
Nose:
Unexpected earthiness with a lot of other aromas swirling around: sweet floral scents, botanicals, clove, tea leaves, licorice, and a melon note that kept me coming back. I was digging hard for traditional caramel and vanilla, but other than rye spice that made it through, the Armagnac really took over.
Taste:
Seemingly low ABV led squarely by rye grain and Armagnac. There’s also toffee, orange cream, and melon again to with a touch of oakiness.
Finish:
Short, all-sweet fruity finish with warmth that lingers a bit longer.
Bottom Line
Limestone Branch has proven their skill at barrel finishing time after time, and I give them props for managing the Armagnac influence to create this unique whiskey worthy of carrying its limited edition title.
Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly
sent me a sample for this review,
without any strings attached.
Thank you.
Posted on October 16, 2020 by Brian Haara
The Ohio River was the waterway for bourbon in the 1800’s, so it is not surprising that many distilleries were built to take advatage of this easy access to the whiskey market. German immigrant, August Krogman, saw opportunity and built his distillery in Tell City, Indiana, in 1863, rising to regional acclaim. Krogman’s was long gone, but MAD Beverage registered the trademark in 2019 and has now lauched a unique single barrel set of the nine masbills distilled at another certain Indiana distillery.
As Krogman’s explains, “Each whiskey is bottled at cask strength, with no chill filtering, featuring a unique nickname for each barrel used. The name of each whiskey reflects a different aspect of the American Whiskey world as it exists today on secondary selling and social media sites. While the names may be ironic, the liquid in the bottles certainly is not. The nine bottle set features four straight bourbons, three straight ryes, a single barrel corn whiskey, and a single barrel light whiskey. With a full set you can taste the entire array of bourbon and rye flavors.” Suggested retail price is $49.99 each.
Posted on September 25, 2020 by Brian Haara
I tend to bring bourbon with me to poker night, when stopping by a friend’s house, Friday night driveway drinking during covid, and on trips up to Michigan. Let’s just say that it’s sort of my thing. But it’s always a tough decision to find the right bottle for the occasion and I often wish that I could bring a few different bourbons to try.
Traveling Spirits just solved my dilemma.
The Traveling Spirits “Sampler Box” includes six two-ounce Boston round bottles with attractive caps and numbered tops, two Glencairn glasses, and a two-inch stainless steel funnel, all housed in an impressive handmade Baltic Birchwood box with a magnetized clear acrylic top. Available for $149.00 online at https://travelingspirits.co/, the Traveling Spirits Sampler Box is my new go-to traveling companion for trips with bourbon.
After a long covid hiatus, next week I’m meeting with a client and good friend to catch up over some bourbon. I’ve poured and packed a 1948 Old Taylor Bottled in Bond, a 10-year old Elijah Craig private barrel aged in Deatsville, and a nearly 11-year old Four Roses Brent Elliott gift shop OESV weighing in at almost 60% ABV, which we’ll save for last. I’m looking forward to two-ounce pours for each of us, and time to catch up with a dear friend after six months.
This is precisely the sort of comradery that inspired the Traveling Spirits Sampler Box: a father and his four sons, a fishing trip, and bonding over blind samples of bourbon. I have such fond memories of spending time with my dad on distillery trips and sipping bourbon on his deck, and the Sampler Box would have been perfect for traveling back and forth.
I highly recommend the Sampler Box, although I’m thinking about the Traveling Spirits 12-Pack (12 bottles in the same type of Baltic Birchwood box, but no Glencairn glasses) as we start to approach the gifting season. Check out the website here: https://travelingspirits.co/, and cheers to friends and family.

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Brian Haara
When I teased the Fall 2020 Old Fitzgerald release in my review of the Spring edition, I was expecting the standard profile that, in varying degrees, defines each of the releases to date. But then it arrived and I realized that Heaven Hill is keeping us on our toes.
I had a little bit of the Spring 9-year release to try them side-by-side to make sure that it was as different as I was thinking. And then in my subsequent tastings I found the same unique flavors. While still keeping up with the strict Bottled in Bond requirements, Heaven Hill was able to pull barrels from different rickhouses, different floors, and different production dates (within the same season, of course), to feature a unique profile. Reading between the lines, this should also mean that Heaven Hill has more of these 14-year old barrels speckled throughout its rickhouses for future releases!
Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Decanter Tasting Notes
| Bourbon: | Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey |
| Distillery: | Heaven Hill, Bardstown, Kentucky (distilled in Louisville and aged in Bardstown) |
| Age: | 14 years |
| ABV: | 50% (100 proof) |
| Cost: | $140.00 |
Appearance:
Brown with copper highlights.
Nose:
Great aromas that hit as soon as I removed the cap. Lots of caramel, lightly toasted bread, maple syrup, a little bit of earthiness, and boiled peanuts.
Taste:
Really amazing—caramel and peanuts mixed together; not salty like a Payday bar, but along those lines. More like praline and chicory coffee. Buttery on the tongue and lightly oaked (less than expected for 14 years) and light fruit sweetness round it out.
Finish:
Seemingly medium finish with an initial rush of nuttiness, but then the caramel lingers and lasts as it fades. It’s a sweet tooth’s dream.
Bottom Line
This was a unique profile for me for a Heaven Hill Old Fitzgerald and I loved it. It lacks the spiciness of some of the prior releases, but I didn’t miss it one bit.
Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly
sent me samples for this review,
without any strings attached.
Thank you.
Posted on September 11, 2020 by Brian Haara
Four Gate is back with another extremely limited batch of only 1,484 bottles. And for the first time, it’s a Straight Rye Whiskey. It’s not a Kentucky Rye—or “barely Rye”—it’s a 95% rye grain Indiana Straight Rye, meaning we can all pretty much guess the source.
Batch 7—River Kelvin Rye
Bourbon: Straight Rye Whiskey
Distillery: Undisclosed, but distilled in Indiana
Age: 7 years
ABV: 56.6% ABV (113.2 Proof)
Cost: $174.99
Appearance:
Brown side of amber.
Nose:
Yup, that’s a Rye. There’s some ABV sting, but once you get past that, it’s brown sugar, baking spice, lemon zest, and dark, dried fruit.
Taste:
Yup, it’s a big Rye again. There’s a little telltale dill, brown sugar, black pepper, and oak. Really mouthwatering flavors.
Finish:
Lingering spice with warmth that lasts.
Bottom Line
Distribution is limited like Four Gate’s other releases, but even more than I recall for earlier expressions, with distribution just for Kentucky and Indiana, and via Seelbachs.com. Four Gate is also holding back some of this Rye Whiskey to be used with future barrel finishing projects, including a return of the Kelvin Split-Stave and Ruby Port-Rum casks anticipated for 2021. I probably shouldn’t commit before tasting those, but River Kelvin Rye just as it is hits everything that I’m looking for in a Rye Whiskey.
Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly
sent me a sample for this review,
without any strings attached.
Thank you.