From Kentucky to Hoxton
Park and recreation: Yellowstone has an impressive pedigree
A dazzling new Bourbon bar in London is pure whiskey paradise, discovered Heather Storgaard, who zipped along to taste some historic pours from the fabled stable of Yellowstone
Bourbon is the most recognisable and intriguing whiskey category in America, growing all the time, in fresh and exciting new ways, and yet still waiting to be fully embraced by British spirit drinkers who generally remain more familiar with, and predisposed towards, Scotch. More fool them.
Last month I met a man on a mission to change all that.
Stephen Beam is the Founder and Master Distiller for Yellowstone Bourbon, a seventh generation whisky scion of passion and expertise, with a deep understanding of the unique heritage soaked into the DNA of this corner of Kentucky.
His family trace their roots in Bourbon back to 1792 through the Beam family, a name instantly associated with Bourbon worldwide (his great-grandfather was the superbly named Minor Case Beam, eldest son of the James Beam). But Stephen has whiskey genes on both sides of his family tree – his mother was a Dant, whose ancestor Joseph started distilling in 1836 at the age of fifteen. Generations of distilling know-how has been passed down to Stephen, all of it feeding into the operation pumping out millions of gallons of Yellowstone Bourbon at Limestone Branch Distillery, where Stephen works with his brother Paul.
Yellowstone released its iconic ‘For Medicinal Purposes Only’ bottlings during prohibition and became the best-selling Bourbon in Kentucky in the 1960s’
Founded in 1872 by J. B. Dant, Yellowstone Bourbon took the name of the newly-opened national park, the world’s very first. The imposing stone gateway to the famed park is still inscribed with the words ‘For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People’, a message that could equally apply to the whiskey inspired by it. Yellowstone Whiskey has clout. It released its iconic ‘For Medicinal Purposes Only’ bottlings during prohibition and became the best-selling Bourbon in Kentucky in the 1960s. After the label went through an array of owners and distilleries, Stephen and his brother brought production of the Yellowstone brand back into its founding family in 2015.
Yellowstone Founder and Master Distiller Stephen Beam
The venue for tonight’s masterclass by Stephen to the Yellowstone range is Odyssey, a glittering new bar and destination for whiskey enthusiasts and cocktail connoisseurs alike, located in Hoxton, London’s own national park for hipsters. It’s a pleasing place to be, aglow with shadowy lighting, festooned with plump leather sofas and armchairs with an immense broad bar ranging across one side of the main room. Behind it, lies the prize: one of the largest collections of American whiskey in the UK. From big-name bourbons like Sazerac's Eagle Rare to scarcely seen rarities including Pappy Van Winkle, as well as up and coming craft producers, Oydssey is a veritable palace of highly distinguished brown spirits. I can highly recommend a trip.
Happy drinkers in Hoxton’s Odyssey bar, a new destination for whiskey lovers
Revellers huddled round the atmospheric bar all night enjoying a delicious range of free-flowing cocktails (a great way to enjoy Bourbon), but it's downstairs where the true magic of Odyssey was revealed. The cellar hosts a training and tasting area, where Stephen took groups through the rarest Yellowstone releases. In the future, this space will host regular visits from the greats of US whiskey and beyond, spreading the secrets of American whiskey out from the streets of east London. With all things cowboy having a moment right now, there couldn’t be a better time to encourage us all to broaden our horizons beyond Scotch.
Cabinet of dreams: Odyssey has one of the largest collections of American whiskey in the UK
What about the whiskey? Yellowstone Select, the brand’s flagship Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a belter, as versatile as it is iconic, the bottle that epitomises 150 years of Bourbon heritage. It’s a perfect blend of 4 and 7-Year Old Bourbons, with a smooth yet complex flavour that skews to a more classic or traditional bourbon profile. There’s Rye spice with soft, leathered cherries on the nose and a smoky oak brown sugar finish.
‘The Family Recipe Kentucky Straight Bourbon is made to a mashbill discovered in a notebook belonging to Stephen’s grandfather, Guy Beam, using yeast cloned from a jug belonging to his great-grandfather’
My dram of the night, however, was one where you could truly taste this history: the Family Recipe Kentucky Straight Bourbon. It is made to a mashbill discovered in a notebook belonging to Stephen’s grandfather, Guy Beam, using yeast cloned from a jug belonging to his great-grandfather, Minor Case Beam, and heritage corn. It was also heavier than many bourbons I have tried before, the result I think of it being completely pot distilled. For a romantic with an open fascination with whiskey history, this was pure Bourbon heaven.
Deeply satisfying: Yellowstone’s bold take on Single Malt Whiskey
Later in the evening, Stephen uncorked a rare surprise, Yellowstone’s take on American Single Malt, a hotly anticipated new category in the States, still waiting on being granted official status. The American Single Malt Whiskey Commission was founded in 2016 by big names from across the country, including Westland in Seattle and Balcones in Texas. Their campaigning for official recognition of this designation was taken up by the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) with a result promised imminently.
There’s big excitement in the industry around the designation, which would be the first since Bourbon itself in the 1960s, and Yellowstone are one of a handful of historic bourbon producers now releasing their own pre-emptive takes. Yellowstone American Single Malt is a rum cask finish which combines a traditional bourbon flavour with the funk of molasses, making for a deeply satisfying and punchy dram. Despite the brave diversion away from the very whiskey that makes Kentucky revered, Stephen confirms that they are making “unapologetically American single malt”. This is simply a new frontier for US spirits. Grab your boots, dust down your hat, and join the pioneers.
Find out more about Yellowstone here
