Bourbon

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What's the Difference? - Yellowstone Toasted vs Yellowstone Rum Cask

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Yellowstone Toasted, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Toasted Oak Staves

The Yellowstone Toasted was the first release in the "Special Finishes Collection." This product starts as the 4-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey distilled from a mash bill of 75 % corn, 13 % rye, and 12 % malted barley used for the Yellowstone Select. Next, the bourbon is finished with toasted staves for an undisclosed period. The brand offers little transparency on this product, but they tell us they use at least five toast-style staves. The staves used for the second finishing are described as high toast, American oak double toast, high vanilla, rick house, and spice rack staves. The final product is bottled at 100 proof (50 % ABV). Yellowstone Toasted won a double gold medal at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

I'll provide a general explanation for toasted-finished bourbons because they are so popular these days. Once the base bourbon has reached the target flavor profile, in this case, it's around four years, and additional wooden staves are added inside that barrel for a specific period. For Yellowstone Toasted, the company does not tell us how long they finish this product. The added staves have been toasted for particular lengths to generate an ideal flavor they might impart. For example, specific toasting methods might develop a strong vanilla or coffee flavor in the whiskey. Usually, a producer will add a combination of staves, imparting different types of oak flavor and hopefully creating greater complexity.

  • Nose - Toasted caramel, vanilla, hints of fall spices and cinnamon

  • Palate - Walnut, toffee, black tea and white pepper

  • Finish - Cocoa and tobacco with a crisp oak finish

Yellowstone Rum Cask, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Rum Casks

The Yellowstone Rum Cask is the second release in the "Special Finishes Collection." At the time of writing, in October 2024, this is the newest release from the brand. This product starts as the 4-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey distilled from a mash bill of 75 % corn, 13 % rye, and 12 % malted barley used for the Yellowstone Select. Next, the bourbon is cask-finished for 9 weeks in rum barrels sourced from Havana, Cuba. The final product is bottled at 100 proof (50 % ABV). 

  • Nose - Gingerbread, poached pear and fresh-cut hay

  • Palate - Toasted marshmallow, crème brûlée, toffee and toasted oak

  • Finish - Tobacco, clove and cocoa-seasoned oak with a long honey finish

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Glencairn & Riedel Glassware Recommendations

 

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What's the Difference? - Yellowstone Select Bourbon vs Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey

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Photo by Yellowstone

Yellowstone Select, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The Yellowstone Select is the brand's flagship product. It combines 4-year-old and 7-year-old bourbon distilled from a mash bill of 75 % corn, 13 % rye, and 12 % malted barley and bottled at 93 proof (46.5 % ABV). Yellowstone Select won a gold medal at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

  • Note - Rye spice with soft, leathered cherries

  • Palate - Smoked caramel with hints of vanilla and honey

  • Finish - Smoky oak brown sugar

Photo by Yellowstone

Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey

The Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey is not a bourbon but a 4-year-old whiskey distilled from malted barley at a single distillery. They do not disclose what style of malt(s) they use. This product is bottled at 108 proof (54 % ABV). 

  • Nose - Cereal malt and honey with a hint of peach blossom

  • Palate - Sweet medium body with notes of honey, pear, stone fruit and dates

  • Finish - Notes of oak with hints of cinnamon and English walnuts

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Glencairn & Riedel Glassware Recommendations

 

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The links for product recommendations in this post are affiliate links. At zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. This helps support this website so that I can continue to bring you new content.

Please Drink Responsibly.

What's the Difference? - Penelope Toasted Bourbon vs Penelope Toasted Rye

Penelope - The Brand

Michael Paladini founded Penelope Bourbon. He and his wife, Kerry, struggled to conceive a child, but Kerry finally became pregnant. The couple knew they would have a girl and wanted to name her Penelope. Mike wanted to create a bourbon brand to celebrate this moment every day. Partnering with his lifelong friend Danny Polise, he sourced the spirit from MGP (Midwest Grain Products), now called Ross & Squibb, in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. They chose a unique blend of three bourbon mash bills to set the brand apart from other MGP products. The brand began with the four-grain, white label, which is still the brand's flagship product. Penelope was later acquired by the Luxco & MGP parent company, which will give the brand access to older barrels and also elevate production. Items that may have been extremely limited in the past should have more volume across the board. Mike will still be very involved in innovations, and Danny will maintain his position as master blender.

Penelope Toasted Bourbon, Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The Toasted Series is distilled at the Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, from a mash bill of 75 % corn, 21 % rye, and 4 % malted barley. Unlike the Four Grain and Barrel Strength, this mash bill is not a blend. The bourbon is aged 5 years in a charred new American Oak barrel and finished in a second new American Oak toasted barrel. The char level of the first barrel can range from # 1 to # 5, and the toast level of the second barrel can be light, medium, or heavy, depending on the batch. This product is non-chill filtered and bottled in small batches at 100 proof (50 % ABV). Charring a barrel is similar to flame-throwing the wood while toasting is more similar to holding a lighter to the wood. The comparison that is often used is toasting bread in a toaster. The Toasted won a gold medal in 2022 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC).

  • Aroma - Rich caramel & vanilla

  • Body - Bold on the palate with notes of marshmallow &vanilla

  • Finish - Long savory finish that leaves a nice hug

Penelope Toasted Rye, Straight Rye Whiskey

The Toasted Rye is also distilled at the Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, from a mash bill of 95 % rye and 5 % malted barley. Like the Toasted Bourbon label, this mash bill is not a blend. The rye whiskey is aged 6 years in charred new American Oak barrels and finished in new, freshly toasted barrels. My bottle (batch # 24-504) received a # 2 char and a heavy toast. This product is non-chill filtered and bottled in small batches at 100 proof (50 % ABV). The Toasted Rye won a double gold medal in 2024  at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC).

  • Aroma - Decadent on the nose with bold sweet caramel and hints of mint

  • Body - Vanilla, toasted marshmallow, hints of light tobacco and fruit

  • Finish - Long finish, sweet desert character, orange peel with a subtle spice note

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Affiliate Disclosure

The links for product recommendations in this post are affiliate links. At zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. This helps support this website so that I can continue to bring you new content.

Please Drink Responsibly.