Yellowstone Bourbon’s culminating act for 2022 has arrived. The annual release, scheduled to hit gift shop and store shelves in September, is extra special this year.

In case you hadn’t heard, it’s Yellowstone National Park’s (and the bourbon named for it) 150th Anniversary this year.

For this year’s Yellowstone Limited Edition, Master Distiller Stephen Beam married 7-, 15-, and 16-year bourbons. Some of the 7-year-old barrels were finished in Marsala Superiore casks from Sicily for an undisclosed period of time. Based on the press release’s wording, not all 7-year-old barrels were finished in the Marsala casks.

Despite the brown sauce that carries the “marsala” moniker, marsala is a fortified white wine around 18% ABV. It’s named for the city of Marsala on Sicily and features a varied grape profile. Marsala also tends to be sweet like a dessert wine, but there are drier versions available, too.

Marsala Superiore has DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) protection under Italian law, meaning it meets the geographical, grape varietal, and aging requirements for that standard. The “Superiore” appellation means it is a slightly higher ABV (usually just 0.5%) than the classic wine of the same DOC. Marsala Superiore must be aged at least 2 years, but can be aged longer, and stays well in the bottle for up to a decade when stored properly.

Marsala as a category is an unusual choice for finishing, but I love it. I also love how Beam went about it. By finishing a part of the 7-year barrels rather than the whole, it surely allowed him to mix and match barrels when completing the blend. If it was a little too sweet (i.e. too much Marsala Superiore influence) he could either pull back on those casks or add more of the 7-year barrels to balance it out. Keeping in mind that there’s also 15- and 16-year bourbons in here, the Marsala is used skillfully to add unctuousness, just enough sweetness, and cherry/date fruitiness.

That’s not to discount the bourbons, either. The blend shows no woodiness - a true miracle considering the age - and instead features oak as a creamy, peppery backbone that expands on the chew and coats delectably. I’ve enjoyed other Limited Edition releases from Limestone Branch, but this is easily my favorite of the bunch. The bourbon brings the vanilla, corn, brown sugar, and baking spices you want; the wine adds fruit, sweetness, acidity, and body, with a chocolaty finish that brings the two together seamlessly.

Neither is overpowering and neither is lost. That balance is the mark of well-done finishing and blending, and Beam seems to get better at it every year.

Thank you to Limestone Branch for providing this sample with no constraints.

Yellowstone 2022 Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Specs

Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Origin: Limestone Branch Distillery

Mashbill: Undisclosed

Proof: 101 (50.5% ABV)

Age: 7-Year, 15-Year, and 16-Year-Old Whiskies

Location: Kentucky

Yellowstone 2022 Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Price: $99.99

Official Website

Yellowstone 2022 Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Maple syrup. Thin rims and quite slow droplets.

Nose: Red grapes, minty note from the marsala. Rick and deep, dark wine, like a Bordeaux. Tropical fruits also open up, particularly dried papaya and passion fruit curd. Creamy on the nose, well-rounded and sweet.

Palate: A burst of fruit as soon as it hits the tongue - stonefruits galore, especially cherries. Papaya and oak dryness hit next on the mid-palate. Cherry starts to pull away from the other flavors, standing ahead of its peers with fresh, bright acidity. Wet tobacco and barrel char follow. The Marsala adds incredibly fruity syrup notes in flavor and mouthfeel, holding back a chocolate bomb that detonates towards the end of the palate and adds to an already coating pour.

Finish: Turns more chocolaty as the fruit dries and intensifies. Long, long finish that’s just as coating and keeps going.

Overall: The best finish yet in this Limited Edition line. Balanced, yet intensely fruity throughout. Finish is still there minutes later.

Final Rating: 7.8

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary

8 | Excellent | Exceptional

7 | Great | Well above average

6 | Very Good | Better than average

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary

4 | Has promise but needs work

1-3 | Let’s have a conversation