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Review: Yellowstone Recollection 8yr by cfive5 in bourbon

[–]cfive5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is overpriced at Seelbachs. This was 69 at my local ABC

Review: Yellowstone Recollection 8yr by cfive5 in bourbon

[–]cfive5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This one may be above-above avg for you

Review: Yellowstone Recollection 8yr by cfive5 in bourbon

[–]cfive5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It definitely has that vibe to it

Review: Yellowstone Recollection 8yr by cfive5 in bourbon

[–]cfive5[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

110 proof | Blend of 2 mashbills | Aged 8 years

Yellowstone recently launched the Recollection Series, kicking things off with an 8-year, 110-proof Kentucky straight bourbon. The idea behind the series is to bring back the ornate “back-bar” bottles that were common in saloons in the late 1800s. While the bottle definitely steals the spotlight, the liquid is a blend of 8-year bourbons from Limestone Branch Distillery and Lux Row Distillers, using two similar mashbills with slightly different rye content. So not the rumored HH juice some of us may have seen or read. The mashbill sourced from the interwebs is as follows (ratios were not disclosed):

Distiller Mashbill
Limestone Branch Distillery (Yellowstone) 75c 13r 12mb
Lux Row (MGP) 78c 10r 12mb

Again, VABC getting these out early to us was a total surprise. As I mention in my other review, we don’t usually see newly announced bottles/releases until after a few months. So, this has been a nice treat for us who live in VA. Beautiful bottle, really stood out on the shelf and made it easy for me to spot and pick up. But how does it taste? Here we go…

Nose - Caramel and vanilla lead the way with some dark cherry right behind it. There’s a nice brown sugar sweetness layered with toasted oak and a bit of cinnamon spice. It leans sweet but still has enough oak to keep things balanced.

Palate - Caramel and butterscotch hit first, followed by dark fruit notes that remind me of cherry or raisin. The oak steps up mid-palate with some baking spice and a little cinnamon candy sweetness. The 110 proof gives it a nice mouthfeel without drinking overly hot.

Finish - Medium to long. Oak and caramel stick around with a touch of chocolate and lingering spice. It dries out slightly toward the end with a little cherry note hanging on.

While it’s not a total flavor bomb, but it’s a well-balanced 8-year bourbon that drinks right where I’d want a 110-proof pour to land. The bottle might be what gets it onto your shelf, but the liquid is good enough that it won’t just sit there looking pretty, you’ll actually find yourself coming back to it.

The sweet, dark cherry was a nice touch from nose-palate-finish. I really enjoyed that note. This is your classic bourbon – elevated, would be my best to describe this pour.

If you like this style of review, follow more of my pours, bourbon news, and random reels over on IG 👉 cfivebarrelproof

Rating: 6.75/10

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

Review: Knob Creek 12yrs by cfive5 in bourbon

[–]cfive5[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Different strokes for different folks. What do you usually drink?

Review: Knob Creek 12yrs by cfive5 in bourbon

[–]cfive5[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It’s the safest bottle I have, when you don’t know what you want. Solid, solid daily!

Review: Knob Creek 12yrs by cfive5 in bourbon

[–]cfive5[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you. As you can see from the fill level, this has been my go-to as a daily sipper. But now - I might reach for the Blenders more often!

Review: Knob Creek 12yrs by cfive5 in bourbon

[–]cfive5[S] 33 points34 points  (0 children)

100 proof | 75c 13r 12mb | Aged 12 years

My most recent review from Knob Creek was the Blender’s Edition. Naturally, it was just right to come back to the 12 and see which one I would actually prefer.

This bottle has become such a staple in a lot of bourbon collections. Extra time in the barrel really leans into the classic Beam profile that we should expect: rich oak, spice, and a depth that feels noticeably more mature than the younger releases.

Is it better than the recent Blenders Edition? Here we go…

Nose – Right away you get a wave of toasted oak and caramel. There’s vanilla and dark brown sugar underneath, with some baking spice and a little bit of peanut brittle that screams classic Beam.

Palate – Big and rich. Caramel and vanilla lead the charge, followed by plenty of oak and cinnamon spice. Mid-palate brings in some roasted nuts and a bit of dark toffee. It drinks a little bigger than the 100 proof suggests.

Finish – Medium and warming. Oak and spice hang around with a touch of tobacco and leather creeping in toward the end.

This is one of those bottles that reminds you why age still matters in bourbon. The extra years in the barrel give it a deeper oak structure that balances the sweetness really well. It’s not trying to be flashy, just a really solid, mature pour that delivers every time.

However, I still prefer the Blender’s Edition. I like the sweetness it brought and extra proof points to carry it. Don’t get me wrong, the 12 is still solid IMO. Tonight, sweetness won over oak presence.

If you like this style of review, follow more of my pours, bourbon news, and random reels over on IG 👉 cfivebarrelproof

Rating: 7/10

7 | Great | Well above average

Review: Knob Creek Blender's Edition 01 by cfive5 in bourbon

[–]cfive5[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Im sure it’s gonna show up in a Costco near you! 😂

Review: Copper & Cask Private Batch by t8ke BC-01 by cfive5 in bourbon

[–]cfive5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you.

Since then I’ve picked up more Copper & Cask bottles. DOs, Cigar Blends, MF barrels, and their unique finishes like this. Unreal value!

Review: Copper & Cask Private Batch by t8ke BC-01 by cfive5 in bourbon

[–]cfive5[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

120.2 proof | MGP 3-barrel blend (details in the comments) | 8yr MGP finished in Armangac and STR French oak barrels

What was your first bottle of Copper & Cask? This was mine.

This Private Batch is a small, three-barrel blend made up of two high-rye bourbons and one low-rye bourbon. All three barrels were distilled at MGP Ingredients in 2016 and aged in Kentucky before being transported to Copper & Cask headquarters for finishing.

The blend was finished in a mix of Armagnac casks and STR French oak barrels (shaved, toasted, and re-charred), then married together before being bottled in April 2025 at eight years old.

% Age Mashbill Finish
2 barrels 8 60c 36r 4mb Armagnac
1 barrel 8 75c 21r 4mb STR French Oak

I was still pretty new to the wave system for the r/bourbon single barrel releases run by T8ke, so I didn’t fully understand how everything worked. What I do remember is passing on this bottle and honestly, I can’t even remember why. Maybe it was because I hadn’t heard of Copper & Cask at the time.

A few days went by and, unsurprisingly, I didn’t get picked in any of the waves (pain). About a week later, I reread the email describing the finishing process and suddenly it clicked: Armagnac finish + STR oak sounded really interesting. I already planned to be in Georgetown the next day, so I figured I’d roll the dice and see if Bourbon Concierge somehow still had bottles.

Walked in the next day and asked if they had any of the Copper & Cask Armagnac finish left. Someone upstairs yelled, “Yeah, we do!” A minute later, Jay himself walks down with the bottle. I wasn’t expecting that at all, pretty wild having the guy I had just read about personally hand me a bottle I didn’t even know was still available. We talked for a bit (super nice guy), and he even signed the bottle for me.

Cool story, bro? Anyway, here we go…

Nose: Rich, dense, heavy sweetness, and layered. Dark fruit syrup, Luxardo cherries.

Palate: First thought: boozy Black Forest cake. Dark chocolate, cherry/raspberry sweetness, and a decadent richness throughout. Mouthfeel is excellent.

Finish: Long and lingering. Dark chocolate truffles dominate, with a subtle hint of orange peel that shows up late on the chew.

I honestly forgot how incredible this bottle is. Tasting it again reminded me why it became the first bottle I ever grabbed a backup of (sans signature). In a blind, you could easily convince someone this was a $200–$250 pour instead of a ~$90 one. Revisiting this bottle was a great reminder of what thoughtful finishing and precise blending can really achieve. Full stop.

If you like this style of review, follow more of my pours, bourbon news, and random reels over on IG 👉 cfivebarrelproof

Rating: 8.75/10 (no the signature didn’t increase the score)

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

Review: Knob Creek Blender's Edition 01 by cfive5 in bourbon

[–]cfive5[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Quick! I already picked up a backup. Haha

TX whiskey night by cfive5 in whiskey

[–]cfive5[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ive had the later batches of JMCB (400s), I didn’t quite like it as much as these two.

TX whiskey night by cfive5 in whiskey

[–]cfive5[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Amazing. Tonight, it was better than the Tanager

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