Situated not far outside of Lexington, Georgetown, Kentucky is home to the upstart Limestone Farms Heritage Distilling. The neophyte operation envisions becoming one of the largest pot still distilleries in the country. Until that dream is realized, Limestone Farms is bottling well-crafted blends of Kentucky bourbon. In a market where shelves are full of unfamiliar new labels, would it help to know that Limestone Farm has the backing of Tim Couch, the #1 NFL draft pick in 1999? Noting the connection to the former Cleveland Browns and University of Kentucky quarterback is a nice bit of trivia, but Limestone Farms is in no way marketed as a celebrity bourbon. The Georgetown enterprise delivers serious whiskeys with serious price tags.

Limestone Farms Heritage Distilling kindly provided samples of four bourbons for review. Initial offerings range from entry-level to carefully looking at your monthly finances before purchasing. Still largely an unknown entity to the bulk of consumers, is Limestone Farms a brand that should be on the radar? Let’s talk about it!

Limestone Farms Bloodlines Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Bloodlines serves as the entry-level expression and comes at Limestone Farms’ least expensive price, $60. This offering is a the product of blending bourbons with 6 and 9 years of maturation. Stemming from an undisclosed Kentucky distillery, the mashbill is comprised of 78% corn, 13% rye, and 9% malted barley. Right off the bat, the scent of roasted almonds and plums drifts upward. As the aroma parade marches on, nutmeg, molasses, and sweet tobacco add to the perfume. Initially balanced, the tobacco aroma at the end abides more than any other scent. Segueing into the palate, Danish butter cookies meet the peculiar sensation of watermelon rind. As the tasting experience develops, popcorn presents with brown sugar and barrel char. Leading the way on the finish, Cow Tales candy accompanies Big Red gum to wrap things up. The nose and initial palate are wholly acceptable endeavors, but the finish is the only truly memorable component of the blend. It’s an enjoyable bourbon, but largely without any factors that would lead me to reach for it on any given night over other bottles in my collection. 95 proof. B / $60

Limestone Farms Morgan Family Collection Select Batch Straight Bourbon – Select Batch sports the same mashbill as Bloodlines and also features a blend of bourbons aged 6 and 9 years. The bouquet dawns with black cherry and ripe strawberries. Fruity impressions evolve to aromatic jasmine and sandalwood. Sorghum and boysenberries hit the front of the palate prior to making way for Big Red gum and charred orange peel. Select Batch offers a delightfully oily mouthfeel. Black pepper and orange zest are momentarily expressed on the finish before giving way to an undeniable Luden’s Wild Cherry cough drop that doesn’t quit. The potent cough drop note on the finish is rather unbalanced, but also enjoyable. Coming with a $40 premium relative to Bloodlines, Select Batch is a nice upgrade and worth purchasing. 111 proof. B+ / $100

Limestone Farms Morgan Family Collection Small Batch Straight Bourbon – Small Batch utilizes the same mashbill as the previous two expressions, but comes with an age statement of at least 8 years old. The olfactory exposition commences with juicy dark plums and fragrant sandalwood. Allowing the glass to air for a few moments, toffee and tart Tang orange drink conclude the nosing experience. Shifting from the agreeable nose to the palate, dried cranberries meld with brown sugar. Flowing to the midpalate, black pepper and cocoa powder introduce themselves. Sensations of cocoa powder cling to the interior of the mouth with a beautifully dense mouthfeel. Progressing to the finish, black pepper and more dried cranberry emerge before orange zest and more cocoa powder shut it down. Small Batch is worthy of your attention and a bottle that you’d happily share with friends. The $140 price is a bit steep, but I have no issue with the bourbon itself. 113.6 proof. A- / $140

Limestone Farms Morgan Family Collection Private Stock Straight Bourbon – The previous three bourbons all shared the same mashbill, but Private Stock calls a noteworthy audible. Private Stock is distilled from a fascinating mashbill consisting of 70% corn, 10% honeyed wheat, 10% honeyed malted barley, and 10% distillers malt. Further differentiating itself from the other three, Private Stock was distilled at New Riff Distilling for Mike Safai. If that name isn’t ringing a bell, Safai was one of the original partners of Rabbit Hole. Safai developed a unique mashbill and process for these barrels. Like the others, Private Stock provides a similar age statement at 8 years old. Diving into the nose, it’s deep and brooding. This one is immediately different. The scent of rich prunes combines with roasted almonds to start the show. Aromas of burnt orange peel intermingle with sorghum and pencil shavings to concoct a nosing experience that beckons me to linger before moving on to sipping. Decadent muscovado debuts on the palate, but quickly links with honey and more burnt orange peel. As the culinary delight marches onward, Hershey’s Hugs coordinates with more of that rich prune character. An oily quality allows the profile to adhere to the entirety of the palate. Moving to the finish, prunes continue to flex as cinnamon, orange zest, and dark chocolate collaborate. The finish is only marginally subdued in comparison to the palate. Private Stock is simply a beautiful beast from head to tail. In all of the best ways possible, Limestone Farms has released a bourbon that demands to be appreciated. Yes, the price is substantial, but so is the quality. It’s safe to say this is the single best bourbon I’ve personally tasted in 2024. 113.6 proof. A / $190

lfdistilling.com

Limestone Farms Morgan Family Collection Private Stock Straight Bourbon

$190

9.5

Rating

9.5/10

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