A maximum of 10 points will be available for each distillery visit…with 2 points available for “presentation” (basically the first impression the place puts on based on the sites, sounds, friendliness, etc), 3 points for the “experience” (whatever tour or tasting we did…which can include just doing a flight at the bar), 3 points for the Gift Shop (this will encompass all the gift shop has to offer EXCEPT for the final category), and 2 points for bottles exclusive to the distillery.
So far, just about every distillery we visited was either a large, well-known operation, or was reasonably close to other such operations on the Bourbon Trail. The next day of our October trip, we decided to get out of that bubble just a little bit and head down to Lebanon, Kentucky. We had driven through Lebanon both times we were on our way to our vacation destinations in 2025, but barely stopped either time…but I did notice Limestone Branch Distillery when we drove past it the first time. Although I have to admit to not being a fan of Yellowstone Bourbon before the trip, I thought it would be fair to give them a chance to change my mind on the matter.
PRESENTATION
Limestone Branch Distillery is a rather small operation and campus, especially as compared to huge distillers like Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, or even Maker’s Mark. It was, however, very welcoming in appearance and very well tended in terms of landscaping and gardening. They did have a bar that we didn’t get a chance to enjoy as we were headed into the gift shop and fairly swiftly onto a tour of the premises. The museum-piece packaging from decades past was interesting and made me aware again of the fact that many Kentucky distilleries have a Beam family member in their past. In this case, Minor Case Beam, a cousin of Jim who worked with the Yellowstone brand for some time until Prohibition.
2/2
EXPERIENCE
We purchased two tickets for the Yellowstone Select Experience, which starts with the history of the brand…when it was named after the first national park, NOT the television series! We were able to tour their small production floor and go out back to a trailer that’s being used as a rickhouse…there we got to sample whiskey directly from the barrel and it was sublime. The tour ended in a cozy, but well-appointed tasting room where we got to try a few samples of the more “premium” offerings under the Yellowstone label. This definitely helped inform our selection process for the gift shop. Also a plus…being off the beaten path a bit, this tour was not overly crowded, so the tour guide made us all feel like VIPs.
3/3
GIFT SHOP
The gift shop at Limestone Branch is small, but has a lot of interesting content at fair prices. Included in this is pretty much all their regular release items sold under the Yellowstone name, as well as Minor Case Rye Whiskey and other spirits made by their parent company, MGP…yes, that MGP…the folks that also own Penelope and Lux Row…they are really learning how to treat customers well!
2.5/3
EXCLUSIVES
I found bottles of Yellowstone finished in Rum Casks and signed by their current master distiller, as well as the Bourbon Chase Single Barrel from earlier in the year (Bourbon Chase is an annual relay run across the state and through distilleries). There were other bottles, but our tour guide let us try all the premium/exclusive offerings we wanted to see what we would enjoy the most…another advantage to hitting up a smaller distillery tour.
2/2
This place was the biggest surprise of the trip for both of us. Kristine had no real expectations for it because she didn’t know the brand well, but I was decidedly not a fan of their regular release, so my expectations were actually quite low. By exceeding both our expectations on every level, they made this place somewhere we actually look forward to returning to on future Kentucky trips.
Total 9.5/10 – Fan of their whiskey or not…you should make the time to go to Limestone Branch!
BONUS:
Kentucky Cooperage
Also in Lebanon, Kentucky, is the Kentucky Cooperage, part of the Independent Stave Company…the place that creates barrels for just about every major and minor distillery you are going to be visiting. It was fascinating to learn how the wood is selected, cured, then build into barrels, and finally charred. These folks are true craftsmen…as well as being somewhat secretive…we weren’t allowed to take ANY photos or videos within the walls of their factory. Still, if you’re going to be in town to visit Limestone Branch Distillery, it’s worth a side trip to see where and how the barrels are made. The other downside…they’re only open a few days per week.
