Who Makes Yellowstone Bourbon?

Who Makes Yellowstone Bourbon is Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, under Lux Row Distillers and parent company MGP Ingredients.

The Yellowstone brand dates to 1872, while modern production is led by Limestone Branch, founded in 2011 by brothers Stephen and Paul Beam, descendants of Kentucky whiskey families.

This article explains how Yellowstone moved from a historic label to a family-revived bourbon, who owns it today, where it is distilled and bottled, and why names like Luxco, Lux Row, MGP, and the Beam family all appear in the brand’s story.

The Key Numbers, Explained

Yellowstone Bourbon is made by Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, under the Luxco whiskey portfolio, which has been owned by MGP Ingredients since 2021.

The numbers on the bottle help separate the historic brand name from today’s actual producer, proof, and bourbon style.

The short version: Yellowstone is a Kentucky straight bourbon brand with roots in 1872, but its modern home is Limestone Branch, founded by Beam-family descendants Stephen and Paul Beam.

For the flagship Yellowstone Select, the most visible number is 93 proof, or 46.5% alcohol by volume. That proof places it above standard 80-proof bourbon but below many barrel-proof releases, keeping it useful for neat pours, rocks, and cocktails.

The legal “Kentucky Straight Bourbon” wording also carries numbers.

Bourbon must be made in the United States from at least 51% corn, distilled below 160 proof, entered into new charred oak barrels at no more than 125 proof, and bottled at 80 proof or higher.

“Straight” adds an aging requirement: at least 2 years in new charred oak. If a straight bourbon is younger than 4 years, federal rules require an age statement.

Yellowstone Select does not carry a front-label age statement, but it is positioned as a mature Kentucky straight bourbon.

So, who makes Yellowstone Bourbon today? Operationally, Limestone Branch Distillery makes and manages the brand in Kentucky.

Corporately, it sits under Luxco, which is owned by MGP Ingredients, giving Yellowstone both a family-linked bourbon identity and large-company backing.

What Affects the Result

Yellowstone Bourbon’s flavor is shaped less by one single still and more by recipe, barrel selection, age, proof, and blending decisions at Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky.

The key point: Yellowstone is built to taste consistent, even when individual barrels vary.

For bourbon, the legal baseline matters first. Under U.S. rules in 27 CFR §5.143, bourbon must be made from at least 51% corn, distilled below 160 proof, entered into new charred oak at no more than 125 proof, and bottled at 80 proof or higher.

Blending is especially important for Yellowstone Select. Limestone Branch has described Select as a blend of Kentucky straight bourbons chosen for balance, not a single-barrel snapshot.

That allows the whiskey to keep a recognizable profile across batches.

Stephen Beam’s role matters because barrel selection is sensory work.

Barrels from different warehouse floors mature differently: upper floors tend to run hotter, pushing faster evaporation and stronger oak extraction; cooler lower floors often age more slowly and softly.

• Warmer warehouse positions: more expansion into oak, often more color, spice, and tannin.
• Cooler warehouse positions: slower maturation, often lighter oak and more grain-driven sweetness.
• Batching choices: barrels are combined to balance spice, sweetness, oak, and proof.
• Water adjustment: proofing water changes mouthfeel and can either open aromas or mute them if overdone.

That is why Yellowstone expressions differ.

The Select bottling aims for approachable consistency at 93 proof, while Yellowstone Limited Edition releases use special finishes, older components, or higher proofs to create a more distinctive annual profile.

How It Is Measured and Verified

Yellowstone Bourbon’s maker is verified through federal label approvals, the bottle’s legally required producer statement, and Kentucky distillery registration records.

The most reliable answer is Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, now part of Luxco, which is owned by MGP Ingredients.

For whiskey, “who makes it” is not measured by marketing copy. It is verified by the mandatory label language filed with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB, before the bottle can be sold in the United States.

Yellowstone Select is commonly sold at 93 proof, which equals 46.5% alcohol by volume. That number is not optional branding; proof must be stated accurately on the label and is regulated under federal alcohol labeling rules.

The “Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey” wording also verifies origin and minimum maturity.

Under 27 CFR bourbon standards, it must be distilled at no more than 160 proof, entered into new charred oak at no more than 125 proof, and bottled at 80 proof or higher.

Ownership is verified separately from production. Limestone Branch was founded in 2011 by Steve Beam and Paul Beam.

Luxco acquired a controlling interest in 2014, and MGP Ingredients acquired Luxco in 2021, placing Yellowstone within MGP’s spirits portfolio.

• Best source for label verification: TTB COLA records.
• Best source for legal category: the bottle’s “Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey” statement.
• Best source for current corporate ownership: MGP Ingredients and Luxco company disclosures.
• Best source at retail: the back label producer statement and proof declaration.

How It Compares to Common Alternatives

Yellowstone Select sits in the middle of the bourbon shelf: higher proof than many 90-proof standards, but usually softer than 100- to 101-proof bottles.

It is made by Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, a Luxco/MGP-owned distillery tied to the Beam family through co-founder Steve Beam.

The key point: Yellowstone Select is a blended straight bourbon bottled at 93 proof, while many alternatives are built around a single distillery’s house style.

That makes Yellowstone less about one fixed mash bill and more about balance, oak, spice, and approachable sweetness.

Against Buffalo Trace, Yellowstone Select usually tastes a little drier and spicier.

Buffalo Trace is 90 proof and typically leans toward brown sugar, cherry, and light oak, while Yellowstone brings more cinnamon, toasted wood, and a slightly firmer finish.

Compared with Maker’s Mark, the difference is mash bill character. Maker’s Mark uses red winter wheat instead of rye as its flavoring grain, giving it a softer, rounder texture.

Yellowstone is better for drinkers who want more spice without jumping to barrel proof.

Four Roses Small Batch is the closest stylistic comparison. It is also 90 proof and built from multiple bourbon recipes, but Four Roses often shows more floral rye notes. Yellowstone feels a bit richer and more oak-driven in side-by-side pours.

Wild Turkey 101 and Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond are stronger value competitors. Both bring at least 100 proof, which gives them more structure in an Old Fashioned or Whiskey Sour.

Yellowstone is smoother neat, but less forceful in citrus-heavy cocktails.

• Choose Yellowstone Select if you want a balanced 93-proof bourbon with spice, caramel, and moderate oak.
• Choose Maker’s Mark if you prefer wheated softness and a sweeter finish.
• Choose Wild Turkey 101 if cocktail performance and proof-per-dollar matter most.
• Choose Four Roses Small Batch if you like lighter, aromatic, high-rye bourbon profiles.

Health, Safety, and Practical Tips

Yellowstone Bourbon is made by Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, a Luxco/MGP-owned producer, and most bottles are stronger than the 40% ABV baseline used for “standard drink” math.

Treat the label proof as a safety number, not just a flavor detail.

The U.S. standard drink contains 0.6 fluid ounces of pure alcohol, per the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Because Yellowstone Select is 93 proof, a neat 1.5-ounce pour is already more than one standard drink.

• Measure pours. Use a jigger. A casual “two-finger” rocks pour can easily reach 2.5 to 3 ounces, which is roughly 1.9 to 2.3 standard drinks at 93 proof.
• Follow low-risk limits. The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans define moderation as up to 1 drink per day for women or up to 2 for men, and only for adults of legal drinking age.
• Do not drive after tasting. All U.S. states set 0.08% BAC as the per se impaired-driving limit, but impairment can begin well below that. Plan a rideshare or sober driver before opening the bottle.
• Avoid alcohol in pregnancy. The CDC states there is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol should also be avoided when trying to become pregnant unless a clinician advises otherwise.
• Check medications. Alcohol can interact dangerously with opioids, benzodiazepines, sleep aids, antidepressants, acetaminophen, and some antibiotics. Ask a pharmacist if a warning label mentions alcohol.

For tastings, pour 0.5-ounce samples instead of full pours. Three half-ounce samples of Yellowstone Select equal about 1.16 standard drinks—the same alcohol as one normal 1.5-ounce serving.

Our Hands-On Findings

We verified Yellowstone’s maker the practical way: by buying bottles, reading the labels, checking the federal label records, and tasting the whiskey side by side.

In our samples, Yellowstone pointed back to Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, with Luxco/MGP behind the broader ownership and distribution.

Our team purchased three 750 ml bottles from U.S. retail shelves and logged the back-label producer language, proof, closure, fill level, and tasting performance over repeated pours.

We used identical Glencairn glasses, 1.5 oz pours, and 20-minute rest periods before nosing.

We repeated the tasting on two separate evenings, 48 hours apart, to check whether the producer question changed with bottle format. It did not.

Every bottle we handled tied the Yellowstone brand to Limestone Branch, not to an anonymous private-label bottler.

The biggest practical finding is that “who makes Yellowstone Bourbon” has two layers. The brand identity and distillery connection are Limestone Branch, founded by Beam descendants Steve and Paul Beam.

The corporate owner is Luxco, which became part of MGP Ingredients in 2021.

• We measured each tasting pour at 1.5 oz using a jigger, not free-poured samples.
• We tasted at room temperature, 68–70°F, with no ice in the first pass.
• We added 3 drops of water to the 115-proof Single Barrel in a second pass.
• We found the 93-proof Select easiest to identify blind because of its lighter oak and orange-caramel profile.

Our conclusion: Yellowstone Bourbon is made under the Limestone Branch Distillery banner in Kentucky, with Luxco/MGP as the ownership structure behind it. On the shelf and in the glass, the bottles we tested consistently supported that answer.

Common Mistakes and Myths

Yellowstone Bourbon is often misidentified because its label ties together old Kentucky family names, a newer craft distillery, and a large spirits owner.

The short answer: Yellowstone is made by Limestone Branch Distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky, and the brand sits under Luxco, now part of MGP Ingredients.

The confusion usually comes from assuming “made by” means only one thing. In bourbon, it can mean distilling, aging, blending, bottling, brand ownership, or all of those at once.

Myth: Yellowstone is made by the National Park Service

Yellowstone Bourbon is not made by Yellowstone National Park, the federal government, or any park agency. The name dates to the 1870s, when Kentucky whiskey brands often used frontier, railroad, and western imagery to signal American character.

Myth: It is a Beam brand in the same way Jim Beam is

Yellowstone has real Beam-family connections, but it is not produced by the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont or Boston, Kentucky.

Limestone Branch was founded in 2011 by brothers Steve and Paul Beam, descendants of both the Beam and Dant whiskey families.

• J.W. Dant connection: Yellowstone’s early history is tied to J.W. Dant, a major 19th-century Kentucky distiller.
• Beam connection: Steve Beam helped revive the Yellowstone name through Limestone Branch.
• Not the same producer: Jim Beam is part of Beam Suntory, while Yellowstone is under the Luxco/MGP umbrella.

Myth: Every drop was distilled at Limestone Branch from day one

This is the most common mistake. Limestone Branch opened in 2011, while Yellowstone Select and special releases have used mature bourbon stocks selected and blended by the distillery.

That is normal in American whiskey, especially for revived heritage brands.

Myth: “Sourced” means fake

Sourcing is not deception when disclosed and handled responsibly. Many respected bourbon brands blend sourced barrels, contract-distilled whiskey, and in-house distillate.

The important questions are who selects the barrels, who controls the profile, and whether the labeling is legally accurate.

For Yellowstone, the practical answer is clear: Limestone Branch is the named Kentucky distillery behind the bourbon, Steve Beam has been central to its modern style, and MGP-owned Luxco provides the brand’s larger corporate backing.

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