Bourbon Tasting: Yellowstone 2023 Limited Edition

Dive deep with us into the amber-hued world of premium bourbon as we savor Yellowstone's exceptional 2023 limited release. This remarkable expression combines 7, 13, and 16-year-old whiskeys finished in Hungarian dessert wine barrels, creating a uniquely sweet profile that stands head and shoulders above standard offerings.

Beyond just appreciating fine spirits, we explore the meaningful conservation efforts behind the Yellowstone brand, which donated a quarter-million dollars last year to preserve the national treasure that shares its name. It's a reminder that great bourbon can support great causes.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn as we unpack the mysteries of cold chill filtration. Ever wondered why some bourbons cloud when you add water while others remain crystal clear? We break down how this common production process affects everything from mouthfeel to flavor complexity, and why bourbon enthusiasts often seek out non-chill filtered expressions for their richer character.

We're witnessing a significant shift in the bourbon landscape—what we call the "neutral zone." Where allocated bottles once disappeared instantly, many premium expressions now linger on shelves. The shocking price variations we've discovered (from $46 to $80 for the same bottle of Henry McKenna, depending on where you shop) highlight the unpredictable nature of today's market. For collectors and casual drinkers alike, this cooling period offers unique opportunities to access previously elusive bottles.

Pour yourself something special and join the B-Team for this spirited conversation about exceptional bourbon, production techniques, and market insights that will enhance your appreciation of America's native spirit. Whether you're a seasoned connoisseur or just bourbon-curious, there's something here to elevate your next drinking experience.

Transcript

B-Team Podcast Introduction

Speaker 1 0:11

Welcome to the B-Team Podcast. I am your host, Josh Safran, with my co-host, Matt Morris, and our permanent guest, Rob Nelson. We're here every week to talk to you about all things Bentonville, bourbon and business the B-Team Podcast Be here. Welcome to the B-Team Podcast. I'm your host, Josh Safra, with my co-host who's scratching the table up, Mr Matt Mars. Mr Matt Mars and Bobby didn't make it today, so you're sitting next to me. Thank you, Russ. You're welcome.

Yellowstone 23 Release Discussion

Speaker 2 0:41

Good to see you, Matt. Whoa, that's a big pork. I mean this stuff, Josh. Let us have a little taste. Wow, and it's worthy After a nice sabbatical on 30 recovery.

Speaker 1 0:54

Sorry, I can't get past the fact that he just put like a two gallon and I short poured myself and that's okay.

Speaker 2 1:02

I mean by too much sabbatical. I'm back on the saddle and we're doing Yellowstone 23 release this afternoon 101, 70-year, 13 and 16-year-old whiskey. So when it has 7-year-old and 13 and 16, what does that make it? Is that a 16-year-old bourbon or is that a 7-year-old bourbon? I think it's a 7. That's right. So technically that's a seven-year-old bourbon because that's the youngest represented into the label. But they don't put seven on it.

Speaker 1 1:29

So can you help us on the Yellowstone, Because I always get. Is it part of the TV show? And blah, blah, blah.

Cold Chill Filtration Explained

Speaker 2 1:34

No, but they do give back. The distillery does give back. Last year they gave $250,000 to the Yellowstone Conservatory Conservation. I'm not sure of the technical but I know they gave $50,000 to the Yellowstone Conservatory Conservation through the government and through Yellowstone. So they give back. It goes back to Yellowstone, the limestone, yellowstone in Kentucky, then the Yellowstone and Yellowstone again. You're up there a lot and you see that. So this is, yeah, this Yellowstone, the OG. Yellowstone and Yellowstone again you're up there a lot, let me see that. So this is, yeah, this Yellowstone, the OG. Yellowstone is what my wife's stepdad that's all he drank was Yellowstone, like the old price point one.

Speaker 2 2:15

Yeah, yeah, that's all he drank was that.

Speaker 1 2:18

And it's okay. Like this is their uber premium.

Speaker 2 2:22

This is the best one that I've had right here. My fault Go deep on the nose here. This is finished. That's for American Oak Barrels. How deep you want me to go? It's finished in Hungarian wine dessert barrel. This one is. It's finished in Hungarian wine dessert barrel. It's so good.

Speaker 1 2:44

Sweet dessert wine. People ask me what my favorite is. I love this. You got me a 20. You know, I like it too.

Speaker 2 2:53

Sorry, go ahead and answer your story.

Speaker 1 2:55

You got me a 20. I have a 21, a 22, a 23, a 24. I absolutely love this. Every time it comes out, I buy it.

Speaker 2 3:04

Is this the cold chill filtered or no? Look on the back label. To me this is not the cold chill filter, because it has like that oily that I like, but I don't see it on there at all. Sometimes you don't have to, but I like the taste better when it's not the cold chill. What are the colors? I don't know? Tell, but I like the taste better when it's not the cold-chilled filter. What are the colors? I don't know.

Speaker 2 3:27

Tell us what the difference is when you see cold filtration or non-chilled filtered or chilled filtered, not chilled filtered. Basically they're chilled, filtering the spirit. After maturation, after it comes out of the barrel, they're taking it down to around 32 degrees. Ballpark is lower than that. You rip out some of those fatty oils. Fatty oils when you put water in it clouds the spirit. And so what happens with a lot of consumers when they see a cloudy spirit and they're new to the category, new to a brand? They see that cloudiness, they think inferior or they think the glass is dirty, and so they don't. There's this in the doors of the category. Any category understand what's no filtration versus not, and you need those because once you strip fatty oils out, you're also stripping out, and so that's that catch-22. Because it's like if you get to go to another brand like Weller 107, you can get it that's filtered and not.

Bourbon Market Trends

Speaker 2 4:33

And the not is like a different, a totally different bourbon that you're drinking. Yeah, so that is. Is that still available? Or how do they like? Who decides what they're going to do on that? The master blender, the team, the sales, and you know it's all rolled up into one. Because, again, if you're a Lisa, you know from Stas Rock shout out and all of a sudden you go. You don't want to have these calls. How come my whiskey's cloudy? There's more on the websites these days. There's more marketing. I'm all about transparency. I wish, number one, that the government would say do away with Phil Trayson to get really to the purity standard of what we're consuming. But again, that's but this has that taste like it's not. So you like this, like you can take. It has that oily taste that I like better. When you try bourbon and that drop of water I can't just map toward like Gallaudet, this is a little fatty now, but the color of this is so rich Because you've got 16-year-old in here.

Speaker 2 5:40

Yeah, you brought a good one today. I want to say carry it. I love this. That's solid Again, that's a little sweeter than your average bourbon because of that dessert, that McGarry dessert wine, that sweet white dessert wine, influence.

Speaker 1 5:55

So now the 21, 2, and 3, when they went out they went out fast, but the 24, I saw Guess who for like a month, like it was out there every day. I think the price point's high. It's like $150 a bottle, so it's pretty expensive, but it's a fantastic pour.

Speaker 2 6:10

I'm starting to see some brands just kind of step right, yeah, fantastic pour. I'm starting to see some brands. Just kind of step right, yeah. We're in a weird time again for beverage alcohol sales. There's a lot of trade down going and there's secondary market pricings Way down. We're kind of in that neutral zone right now. I think we're going to be in for another couple years Again.

Henry McKenna Pricing Surprise

Speaker 2 6:32

You go to some of your favorite package stores in this region or throughout the country and a lot of those boxes during the holidays were completely empty. Now they're full and you're starting to see some brands of lock boxes you never normally see and again the retailers have to keep those things full. I mean, again I saw a stack of Henry McKenna today. Wow, here In an ankle there is a stack that's unheard of, yeah. So when you start seeing these brands like McKenna again you know that's my favorite, yeah. In the 10-year-old single birth it's a good model, it has been for a long time, 100 proof. A 10-year-old single birth it's a good model, it has been for a long time, 100 proof, 100 proof. That's right. When you see that it's a 3K stack, yeah, then you know the.

Speaker 1 7:20

And was it about $80. Now Is that about no so?

Speaker 2 7:22

I bought. That did go up about a year and a half ago so I bought it. That's 75, 80. I bought in Jane two days ago. Did you really? Andrew McKenna was on the show.

Speaker 1 7:34

At Jane.

Speaker 2 7:35

At Walmart, it went again 46?

Speaker 1 7:39

That's like COVID pricing. He didn't even tell.

Speaker 2 7:42

He did tell how many bottles did he get? There was only one in there and I took it, okay, but he resold it for $9. No, I didn't resell. That's a good bottle, but I knew that you two love it, so I was like I'd keep that for a gift.

Speaker 1 7:53

Oh, we can hold it over our head.

Speaker 2 7:56

But it was nice to see. You know, I thought most of these, most of them kind of doubled or upped their price. So maybe, you know, maybe it hasn't gone up as much as we thought. Well see, remember that number at Harkus. Maybe the price has already gone up here, but it hasn't gone up in Missouri.

Speaker 1 8:15

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 8:17

But $46 to $80 is a big difference. Yeah, but see $42, what you got used to be really the normal price for it. And again it could be a Walmart pricing. Yeah, they could have where they bought so much and there was one bottle on the shelf.

Speaker 1 8:32

Yeah, and you said you saw a stacking today, a 3K stack.

Speaker 2 8:36

That's unheard of, but McKenna is. It's a solid, it's always good. That would be one of the ones I would put in the All-in-One Challenge. Yep, we need to do that. Let's do that in March.

Speaker 1 8:53

Cheers, salute, cheers, salute guys very good, love this bottle you as well. Thanks for the format.