I missed getting the Yellowstone 2024 Limited Edition bourbon release in the fall; sometimes things take a bit to filter to Louisiana. I have enjoyed these limited release bourbons since I got my first one in 2019. This release has 7 year old and 17 year old bourbons blended and then finished first in brandy and then in cognac casks. Now, cognac is a distinct french brandy, so it was really two different types of brandy casks that were used to finish the whiskey. Like prior Yellowstone Limited Editions, this one is 101 proof. This bottle cost me just shy of $140.

The color on this is a light amber, which is lighter than I would expect, which means that the vast majority of the bourbon used in the blend is the seven year old. On the swirl, there is a really thin film, but after a few sips a lot of oily droplets form. The nose is very very fruity – green apples and pears, with a touch of vanilla in the background. Fruitiness dominates on the palate as on the nose – green apples and pears, along with some apricot, with vanilla and caramel notes deep in the background. On the finish, the green apples continue on with hints of baking spice and clove, with notes of black pepper becoming present as the apple fades. However, this finish is really really long; its impressive. I also really like the mouthfeel of this finished bourbon; I think that is largely what the 17 year old bourbon contributed to this blend. It’s elegant.

Given that this is a Luxco brands with the imprimatur of my friend Stephen Beam, I suspect he went hunting for some barrels that stayed in the cooler parts of a Luxco warehouse of Heaven Hill sourced bourbons, found some that had nice but not hit you over the head bourbon flavor and great mouthfeel, and then let the brandy and cognac casks do their thing to add the wonderful fruit notes. He had to pick the right bourbon that could actually be changed by the brandy casks; a lot of bourbons I drink would have completely overridden any contributions from the brandy cask finishing. Now, while I like these sorts of finished whiskies (ala my collection of Found North bottles on my bar), bourbon purists on the other hand will likely turn up their nose at this particular offering from Yellowstone, and would likely prefer their Hand Picked Single Barrels or their Small Batch 107 (and I am going to try to get my hands on one and review it soon).