Episode 9: Yellow Rose Outlaw Bourbon Barrel Proof

The Pot Still Column: Episode 9

Yellow Rose Outlaw Bourbon Barrel Proof “Luckie Champagne”

Proof: 124.2

Age: 2+ Years

Finish: None

Source: Yellow Rose Distilling (Houston, Texas)

Price: $50.00

Yellow Rose Distilling's website claims that it only takes one sip of Outlaw Bourbon to realize that one has never had anything like it. I happen to agree.

Yellow Rose Distillery, a craft whiskey producer in Houston Texas, has been touting the title of "first legal distillery in Houston" since its inception in 2010. Joining the small collection of early players in the Texas whiskey renaissance such as Garrison Brothers (Hye, est. 2006) and Balcones

(Waco, est. 2008), Yellow Rose has put Houston on the map as a whiskey-producing city. Their first release hit store shelves in 2012, and their current head distiller, Houston Ferris (who could not be more aptly named) joined the team in 2014.

Outlaw Bourbon is one of Yellow Rose's five core expressions, the others being their Premium American, Rye, Harris County Bourbon, and Single Malt whiskeys. While the core line may include two bourbons, Outlaw Bourbon distinguishes itself by containing a 100% corn mashbill. In a sense, Outlaw Bourbon is really a corn whiskey masquerading as a bourbon, making good use of the allowances provided by bourbon's legal definition as a spirit with a mashbill of 51% corn or greater (in addition to several other requirements). That being said, the outcome is the most complex and impressive corn whiskey I have ever tried. I don't consider corn an ideal grain for whiskey production, especially in comparison with more expressive grains such as rye and barley, but Yellow Rose does its best to prove me wrong with this offering.

Outlaw Bourbon is generally bottled at 46% ABV, but the bottle I have in front of me boasts a much higher proof, coming in hot at 62.1% ABV. This bottle is a pick by Luckie Champagne out of San Diego, California, and it is a pick like no other. Only one cask strength single barrel of Outlaw Bourbon has ever been bottled--- outside of this barrel, such a whiskey simply does not exist.

The color is very dark in the bottle, a product of aging in the Texas heat. The container itself is very nicely put together, emblazoned with the Yellow Rose logo in gold and white, and outfitted with a sticker bearing Luckie Champagne's signature crusty dog. The synthetic cork is topped with a thick coin stamped with the Yellow Rose logo, making it pleasantly heavy. Most eye-catching is the leather band wrapped around the neck of the bottle. The attractive little detail clearly takes a page out of Four Roses' bottle design book, making me wonder if all bourbons with rose-themed names have leather accessories.

Have you ever had a Rum Baba? It is an obscure Italian dessert comprised of a fluffy pastry soaked in a sweetened rum mixture. The result is a delightfully sweet, caramelly concoction that fills the roles of food and drink alike. It also happens to be exactly what this smells like. Dense, dripping notes of alcoholic caramel dominate the nose, followed by an extraordinarily refined and powerful oak scent. The oak is spicy, an exotic wood spice, not a pepper or chili spice, and one could be convinced that this has some sort of rye in it (it does not). Anyone familiar with Texas whiskey could almost certainly guess the product's state of origin, as the intense oakiness present here runs through the veins of nearly every true Texas whiskey. While this is undoubtedly unique, the similarity to Garrison Brothers is difficult to ignore.

The taste is fiery, a balancing act of forceful oak, creamy caramel, and delicate spice. This is a few-note wonder, not terribly complicated, but complicatedly intriguing. Barely a few sips in, my tongue is numb, responding to the flavor bomb (yes, I said it) as though it were hazmat. I would advise adding water. The finish lingers in my mouth for over half of a minute, hovering like a dense cloud as each sip gives up the ghost. The blending potential for this whisky is infinite; it contains a rare oaky richness that one can usually expect to find only in the oldest of bourbons. A splash of this in a blend of more delicate whiskeys would increase the perceived "age" by a decade.

Closing Impression:

This pick of Yellow Rose's Outlaw Bourbon is a serious contender in the competition for flavor per drop. The powerful but balanced oak presence paired with the unique wood spice makes for an intriguing pour to say the least, augmented greatly by the knowledge that the only ingredient is corn. Let me be clear that this is not a standard bourbon by any means, and it deviates tremendously from the standards set by Buffalo Trace, MGP, and other bourbon powerhouses. This is a unique creation to be appreciated for its own merits, not in comparison with other bourbons. As far as Texas whiskey goes, this keeps pace with many of the other important players, having a similar profile to Garrison Brothers, but failing to reach the levels of complexity found in the distillates of Balcones and Still Austin. This is my first experience with Yellow Rose, and I dare say that I am not disappointed in the least. I do, however, think that this whiskey may be of more value as a component in blends than as a standalone pour. I'll be keeping a close eye out for Yellow Rose's single malt, as it should be spectacular if Outlaw Bourbon is any indication.

Nose: 86/100

Taste: 83/100

Finish: 76/100

Overall: 82/100