There are plenty of bourbons on the market making noise right now, but few of them can claim the kind of history that Yellowstone Bourbon carries. And with the release of Yellowstone Recollection Bourbon, the brand isn't just selling a bottle of whiskey — it's handing drinkers a genuine piece of American heritage.
Yellowstone recently announced the wider release of Recollection Bourbon, a bottle that started its life as an exclusive at Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky. Now it's heading to select retailers across the country, and for fans of the brand who never had the chance to get their hands on it, that's a big deal.
The backstory on this one is worth knowing. Back in the late 1800s, Yellowstone bottles were showing up behind the bars of saloons and restaurants across the country. These weren't your standard utilitarian vessels. They were ornate, hand-painted decanters — the kind of thing that drew your eye the moment you walked into a room. Recollection Bourbon is built around that image, pulling inspiration directly from that era and bringing it into the present in a way that feels authentic rather than gimmicky.
The bottle itself is something to look at. It features classic embossing and the iconic Yellowstone Lower Falls, tying the whiskey back to its original namesake — the world's first national park. Yellowstone Bourbon was actually founded by distiller Joseph Bernard Dant, who named the brand after the park in 1872. That connection between the land and the liquid has never really gone away, and you can see it clearly in how this bottle was designed.
Behind the whole operation is Stephen Beam, a seventh-generation Master Distiller who comes from one of the most storied lineages in American whiskey. Beam is a descendant of both the historic Dant and Beam distilling families, and when he founded Limestone Branch Distillery in 2011 and brought Yellowstone back to life, he was very much aware of the weight of that history.
"When I brought Yellowstone to Limestone Branch in 2015, it wasn't just about reviving a name, it was about honoring the people who gave this bourbon its meaning," Beam said. "Our bottles have always drawn inspiration from the spirit and natural beauty of Yellowstone National Park, and when you hold this bottle, I hope it captures the sense of history, craftsmanship, and awe that makes both the park and this bourbon so special."
That sentiment comes through in the liquid as much as the packaging. Recollection Bourbon is aged eight years and bottled at 110 proof, which puts it firmly in the territory of a serious, full-flavored whiskey. It's also non-chill filtered, which means nothing has been stripped out to make it look pretty in the glass. What you're getting is the bourbon as it was meant to be — uncut and unapologetic.
The nose opens up with vanilla crème brûlée and dark cherry, the kind of classic Kentucky bourbon character that reminds you why this style of whiskey built such a following in the first place. From there, the palate moves into caramel, butterscotch, and hints of charred oak — flavors that reward attention and develop over time in the glass. The finish is where things get interesting. Grain and mocha notes come through alongside what the brand calls Yellowstone's distinctive cherry character, with warm spice and sweet cinnamon candy rounding things out.
For a 110-proof whiskey, that's a remarkably balanced flavor profile. Plenty of high-proof bourbons lean hard on heat at the expense of everything else, but eight years in a barrel has done its work here, smoothing out the edges without losing any of the intensity that makes bottled-in-bond and high-proof whiskeys worth seeking out in the first place.
At a suggested retail price of $69.99 for a 700ml bottle, Recollection sits in a reasonable spot for what it is. This isn't an entry-level pour, but it's not trying to be. It's aimed squarely at the drinker who appreciates what goes into a bottle like this — the years of aging, the decision to skip chill filtration, the lineage behind the distiller's name on the label.
Yellowstone Bourbon as a brand has been on a serious run lately. The distillery's expressions have collected a long list of awards, including a spot in Whisky Advocate's Top 20 Whiskies of the Year in 2025, Double Platinum at the 2025 ASCOT Awards, and multiple Gold medals at the 2025 SIP Awards and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. That kind of recognition across multiple reputable competitions isn't something that happens by accident.
The brand is also doing something that not many whiskey companies talk about openly. Since 2018, Yellowstone has partnered with the National Parks Conservation Association and has donated over one million dollars to preserve national parks. In 2026, the brand expanded that commitment further, partnering with the Vital Ground Foundation to help protect threatened grizzly bear habitat. There's something fitting about a bourbon named for America's first national park putting real money behind the preservation of wild spaces.
Limestone Branch Distillery operates under Luxco, which itself is a part of MGP Ingredients' Branded Spirits division. Luxco has deep roots in American spirits going back to St. Louis in 1958, and its portfolio spans a number of respected brands and distilleries across the country. But Yellowstone has always felt like its own thing — a brand with a specific identity tied to a specific place and a specific family history.
That specificity is part of what makes Recollection worth paying attention to. In a market flooded with limited releases and premium labels that often feel like marketing exercises more than genuine expressions of craft, this one has a real story behind it. The bottle design references an actual piece of the brand's past. The distiller making it carries a family name synonymous with American bourbon. The liquid inside has been given the time and care that eight years of aging requires.
Yellowstone Recollection Bourbon is available now at select retailers nationwide, and more information can be found at yellowstonebourbon.com.
