Yellowstone Special Finishes Collection Rum Cask Finish Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 750ml

The Yellowstone name goes back to 1872, and it’s one of Kentucky’s oldest bourbon brands, revived by the Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, which is run by Steve and Paul Beam, descendants of the Beam and Dant families, two of bourbon’s most storied lineages. The whiskey is named for America’s first national park, and the brand partners with the National Parks Conservation Association to help protect the country’s wild places.

The base is a classic four-year Kentucky straight bourbon, made from an unusual mash bill: 75% open-pollinated white heirloom corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. The Special Finishes Collection, launched in October 2023 with a Toasted Staves finish, is Master Distiller Stephen Beam’s exploration of secondary maturations, and Rum Cask was its second release, in March 2024, marked by its blue top-wrap. For this expression, the bourbon is finished for nine weeks in casks from Havana, Cuba, that held rum made from Cuban sugarcane molasses. As Beam explains, “rum has the sweetest notes of all the casks we’ve used for secondary finishing... Rum is an exceptional complement to bourbon, and they come together to create subtle notes of sweetness and brown sugar, which are soaked up and stored within the staves and perfectly complement the vanilla, caramel and rye flavors of Yellowstone.” It’s bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV).

The tasting notes: “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.” The color is chestnut. Bourbon Obsessed found “brown sugar, rum, grain, pepper” on the nose and “brown sugar, molasses, pepper, vanilla, caramel” on the palate, with a medium finish of “pepper, cloves, brown sugar” and “a warmth that feels stronger than most 100-proof bourbons”; the reviewer called it “a good value, with flavor surpassing some of Yellowstone’s other bourbons,” while noting that “the taste may be a tad thin, but that’s deceptive.” One customer was less taken, finding it no different from other bourbons in its price range, so a nine-week finish is a subtle effect, a touch of rum-cask sweetness and spice on a straightforward bourbon.

It’s a sweet, easy-sipping, approachable bourbon for people who like a bit of rum character, and a good gift, a bottle for a Tiki-meets-bourbon cocktail such as a Rum Runner riff or an Old Fashioned. Enjoy it neat or on the rocks, or in a bourbon-forward Old Fashioned.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Yellowstone Rum Cask Finish is produced by Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky (Master Distiller Stephen Beam), a four-year Kentucky straight bourbon (75% white heirloom corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley) finished nine weeks in Havana rum casks that held rum from Cuban sugarcane molasses. Bottled at 50% ABV / 100 proof, 750ml.

Tasting Profile

Nose
Chestnut. Gingerbread, poached pear, and fresh-cut hay, with brown sugar and a touch of rum.

Palate
Medium-bodied, with toasted marshmallow, crème brûlée, toffee, brown sugar, molasses, and toasted oak.

Finish
Medium to long, with tobacco, clove, cocoa-seasoned oak, pepper, and honey.

Quick Overview

Cocktail & Serving Suggestions

Neat or on the rocks — to taste the rum-cask sweetness and spice.

Old Fashioned or Rum Runner riff — a sweet, tropical-leaning bourbon base.

Food Pairings

• Gingerbread and crème brûlée
• Smoked pork and barbecue
• Grilled pineapple and tropical desserts
• Aged cheddar