Yellowstone Small Batch 107 6-Year Bourbon Review (2025)

 

Limestone Branch Distillery is tucked away in Lebanon, Kentucky. Founded in 2011 by Stephen Beam, he is passionate about crafting “the finest spirits” in small batches. If Stephen’s last name is familiar, that’s because he’s one of those Beams. He’s a seventh-generation distiller, and his family tree branches to both the Beam and Dant families.

 

If not for the Dants, Yellowstone Bourbon wouldn’t exist despite its 150 years of continuous sales. It was initially founded in 1872 near Bardstown by Joseph Bernard Dant, and he named it in honor of the United States’ first national park. It was one of the few brands allowed to continue production during Prohibition. In the 1960s, Yellowstone achieved the impressive goal of being the number-one-selling Bourbon in all of Kentucky.

 

Stephen took control of the brand in 2015 and returned it to its historic mashbill. Since 2018, he has donated some of his sales to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) to help upkeep our parks.

 

Yellowstone has just released its newest core whiskey called Small Batch 107.

 

“Yellowstone was the top-selling whiskey in Kentucky in the 1960s, and at the time, it was bottled at six years old. I wanted to bring back that tradition and offer a product with a clear age statement and the perfect entry-level proof point at 107. This is a long time coming. We’ve had great success with special finishes but never had an age-stated product before Small Batch.” – Stephen Beam

 

The mashbill is undisclosed, and from what we already know, it is packaged at 53.5% ABV (107°) after spending at least six years in new, charred oak barrels. It is non-chill-filtered. A 750mL bottle has a suggested price of $44.99.

 

Anyway, in order to write up a review, I have to do that #DrinkCurious thing. Before I get there, I must thank Limestone Branch for sending me a sample of Small Batch 107 in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s do this!

 

Appearance: I poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. The rust-orange color was attention-getting just because it was an unusual hue. A thin rim formed a wavy curtain of tears that slowly fell into the pool.

 

Nose: Small Batch 107 is a citrus bomb on the nose. I felt like I was hanging out in a citrus orchard around harvest time! Once I could get past that, there were caramel, vanilla, chocolate, and charred oak notes. Inhaling the vapor into my mouth revealed rich chocolate.

 

Palate: Thick honey was the first thing I tasted. Cherries and toffee were also on the front. I encountered dry leather, malt, and chocolate at the mid-palate. The back featured rough-sawn oak, clove, and tobacco. The texture was thin while coating every nook and cranny of my mouth.

 

Finish: Flavors of oak, clove, tobacco, chocolate, and dry leather remained on my tongue and throat. The finish started relatively soft and slowly ramped up, causing the oak to taste older while adding a touch of black pepper. I clocked the duration at 2:41, making it very long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: There’s a rumor out there (*cough cough* started by Stephen *cough cough*) that Small Batch 107 may wind up being Yellowstone’s new flagship Bourbon. Should it be?

 

First and foremost, Small Batch 107 drinks nowhere near its stated proof; I’d guess about ten points less. Two things will stand out: the nose and the finish. That’s not to discount what shows up on the palate because it acts as the bridge.

 

Secondly, Small Batch 107 has enough character to hold its own in a cocktail and is such an easy sipper when poured neat. Considering this six-year-old Bourbon is only $45.00, it deserves every bit of my Bottle rating. Cheers!

 

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.