This was an exciting pick for the COWS group as it was held outside at the Yellowstone facility in a gazebo overlooking their grain fields.  The fresh air, along with the sunny and warm day, really opened our palates while picking this special blend. We got to choose from three different barrels that were all measured at 3 different strengths (9 total samples).  The team did a great job at selecting the 115-proof out of the three choices as it was the most unique, with the most flavor overall.  Given the setting, the team chose a very suitable name of “COWS Roam Yellowstone”.

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NAME – Yellowstone Single Barrel

PROOF – 115

AGE – 4 years, 5 months

COLOR – Chestnut (1.2 on the Whiskey Magazine Color Chart)

NOSE – The nose on this pick is super unique as it has a ton of different smells right up front.  Opening is a burst of brown sugar, cherries, and a hint of black tea.  The scent has notes of sweetness which is balanced out by a strong leather char.

TASTE – This bourbon has a nice subtle oily mouth feel that lingers on the palate after your initial drink.  The burst of flavors up front is what sets this barrel pick apart from the production Yellowstone bourbons.  On the initial sip up front I get a hazelnut chocolate taste with a slight haze of mint.  That transitions into a chocolate leathery note in the middle before ending in a leather and black tea note. This drinks more like a 100 proof BIB bourbon more than anything.

FINISH – I would describe this as a medium to long finish as the flavors stick around for a while but dissipate nicely to get you ready for another sip.

REVIEW – As I have enjoyed every single red label store pick single barrel that I’ve picked up from Yellowstone, so I had high expectations for this COWS pick.  My expectations were met with great success from this COWS pick team.  They were able to navigate through 9 different samples to pick the best product available from the Yellowstone distillery. This bottle is going to be a top shelfer for your collection as it’s a unique one from the Yellowstone collection.  I would almost compare this bottle to their annual releases that are picked by their Master Distiller.  Get ready for this one and be ready for this one to be gone fast!

FINAL COMMENTS – The mash bill for Yellowstone is 78% corn, 13% rye, and 9% malted barley.  The rye is subtle and doesn’t add to this bourbon’s “spiciness” as other higher rye bourbons do.  I would call this a medium spice up front and a smooth finish.  This Yellowstone goes down smooth for the proof.

Bottle reservations will start soon.   Don’t snooze or you will definitely lose on this one.