Yellowstone’s 2026 Limited Edition Bourbon Is Finished in Ruby and Tawny Port Casks

(Photo: Yellowstone Bourbon)

Yellowstone Bourbon on Wednesday unveiled Yellowstone Limited Edition 2026, the 11th annual release in its Limited Edition series. This year’s release is a blend of 7- and 14-year-old Kentucky straight bourbons finished separately in Ruby and Tawny Port casks before being blended and bottled at 101 proof.

Created by Master Distiller Stephen Beam, the annual release draws inspiration from the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone National Park, using the contrasting styles of Port casks to mirror the canyon’s shifting light and shadow.

“Every Yellowstone bottle is inspired by the park, and this year I kept coming back to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone National Park,” Beam said in a news release. “The way the sunlight moves across the canyon transforms what you see from moment to moment. Using Ruby and Tawny Port casks allowed me to capture that contrast and translate it into a bourbon that feels dynamic and complete.”

The bourbon is distilled from a mashbill of 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley. While Beam declined to disclose the exact proportions of the blend, he said the majority consists of 7-year-old bourbon, complemented by a “significant” amount of 14-year-old juice.

Beam estimated the finishing period at about 12 weeks — enough time to impart the fruity flavors you can’t get without a finishing cask, but not so long that it overwhelmed the bourbon, according to Beam.

Our Review

We tasted the new Yellowstone bourbon ahead of its release, during a virtual tasting with Beam and other media members, and quite enjoyed it. It’s a particularly well balanced expression. The Port is clearly present yet restrained, and it plays very nicely with the base distillate.

At 101 proof, it drinks very nicely. Beam explained during our tasting that many of the Limited Edition releases wind up at 101 proof because he enjoys that mark and thinks it strikes a good balance — high enough for serious bourbon fans to enjoy but light enough for casual drinkers to drink without wincing.

We wrote up our full thoughts in our full review, which you can check out to find our tasting notes and see what score we gave it.

Yellowstone Limited Edition 2026 carries a suggested retail price of $99. It is available now at the Limestone Branch Distillery Visitor’s Center and will begin arriving at select retailers nationwide in August.