402: Limestone Branch's 101 and More w/ Steve Beam

<p>Steve Beam of Limestone Branch joins Bourbon Lens to pour and break down the brand-new 2026 Yellowstone 101, a limited edition blend of 14 and 8 year old Kentucky straight bourbon double finished in Ruby and Tawny port casks.</p><p>Steve shares how he builds these limited releases from scratch: sourcing barrels through brokers, buying the port at the liquor store to test flavor pairings, blending in graduated cylinders, and why he "makes bourbon that I like to drink." Jake and Steve trade tasting notes (blackberry, cocoa nibs, charred oak, dark fig, and a peanut butter and jelly finish), and Steve explains why Limestone Branch is narrowing its focus to core products in 2026 and beyond.</p><p>Also in this episode: </p><p>🥃 The hand-painted Recollection Series, recreated from a late-1800s porcelain barback bottle found on eBay </p><p>🇺🇸 The US 250th Lady Liberty release: hand-picked single barrels in a throwback cylinder tube </p><p>📜 154 years of Yellowstone, sold continuously even through Prohibition ⏱️ Why a single LTO takes 18 months to 2 years from first idea to bottle 🥃 How Steve drinks whiskey: neat, wide-nosing glass, never on ice</p><p>Whether you're a longtime Yellowstone fan, a port-finish curious sipper, or planning a stop at the distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, this conversation is a great look at the craft behind one of bourbon's oldest brand names.</p><p>Timestamps: </p><ul><li>0:00 Welcome and Limestone Branch's 2026 focus </li><li>3:47 154 years of Yellowstone 5:15 The hand-painted Recollection Series 8:43 The US 250th Lady Liberty bottle </li><li>11:30 Yellowstone 101: how the limited editions are made </li><li>17:38 Tasting notes: nose, palate, finish </li><li>25:06 Blending vs. finishing: how this one was built </li><li>32:53 How long an LTO takes </li><li>34:24 What's next for Limestone Branch</li></ul><p></p><p>🔔 Subscribe for more weekly discussions, tastings, and bourbon insights from the Bourbon Lens community. </p><p>Follow on Instagram: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCqqiSeI2OHr7k0nVDHNpoWQ" target="_blank">⁨@bourbonlens⁩ </a></p><p>Visit: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.bourbonlens.com" target="_blank">www.bourbonlens.com</a> </p><p>Merch: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bourbon-lens-shop.printify.me/products" target="_blank">https://bourbon-lens-shop.printify.me/products</a> </p><p>Discord: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" hr