Yellow Rose Distilling
Liked
Ample parking, good seating, great drink options
Lacked
On-site food options (bring your own or get it delivered)
Kid-friendly options or entertainment (leave the kids at home)
Loved
The tasting experience and rapport. Would never have discovered the Premium Collection without it!
Houston's first legal whiskey distillery
Our first visit to Yellow Rose was made on a whim, the capstone of an eventful day back in May 2022. We were driving back into Houston after a trek to Shire Distilling, and the opportunity to hit another Texas Whiskey Trail stop was too good to pass up. Plus, traffic was terrible on I-10 (as usual) and a detour was a welcome reprieve.
Founded back in 2010, Yellow Rose proudly claims to be the first distillery in the city. Some digging shows that they technically are the first to be granted a permit by the City of Houston, though years back this claim was contested by other Houston spots like Whitmeyer's whose website proclaims them to be the first legal distillery in Harris County at large. It's an interesting piece of history that we'd love to discuss over a dram with Yellow Rose's founders, but until that time it doesn't impact our opinions or experiences.
Yellow Rose was purchased by the Zamora Company in 2017, giving it an international owner and an influx of funds that it used to update its tasting room and some of its equipment, and to expand to new markets. There are currently six main products to try across standard whiskey offerings, a vodka, and limited releases, and there is a large selection of cocktails to try for those not interesting in whiskey neat or on the rocks when visiting the distillery. According to Yellow Rose, some of their international offerings have varied from what we have available here in the States in the past, but they strive to maintain consistency across all markets.
First Impressions
Don't let the exterior facade fool you - Yellow Rose has a well-appointed tasting room tucked inside the functional center that they are located in. And we were impressed! The first thing we noticed inside was the copper logo beautifully integrated into the main bar (please don't set your drinks on it). There were around 25 patrons between various seating areas and the bar itself, with the largest group of around ten celebrating a birthday with some great looking cocktails. We sat at a table to take things in before walking up to the bar to request a flight.
The woman that helped us (whose name we failed to capture, the fault is ours) told us to head back to the table and she'd stop by shortly. Next thing we know she is wheeling out an old whiskey barrel with the different Yellow Rose offerings on it for our flight. Talk about a memorable tasting.
We took a handful of blurry photos our first time around, so on the most recent visit we tried to focus on documenting things in the tasting room and on our private tour. The private tour - which ends in the wine cellar for a tasting vs. back in the tasting room and is limited to just your immediate party - is worth the extra cost. As of September 2022 you can book online and then wade through a slightly confusing (it's still new) system to see your reservation. According to the staff the best way to get a tour without issues is to call. We'll try that out next time.
The tour takes place right behind the tasting room where you will see several experimental barrels of different sizes and types, some of which would make an excellent Premium Collection #3 (Cognac finish? yes, please) once PC#2 (Cabernet Sauvignon finish) is sold out. The distillation process happens on site, and the tour covers the basics of that plus aging, bottling, and storage. The wine cellar is definitely the place that you want to end up because that's where you will see small bottles of Yellow Rose history and hints at the experiments that they have ongoing. There is so much potential on those few shelves, and none of it is available to try... what a bummer.
After the tour we ended up back in the tasting room to peruse merchandise and debate the appropriate dip in a V-neck for a men's shirt (I personally opted for no V-neck as my preferred dip and purchased my shirt accordingly). We snagged up two more bottles of the Premium Collection #2 since they will soon be sold out forever and called it a successful trip.
Lasting Memories
Morgan was our bartender on the second trip, and she encouraged a shot of bourbon-barrel aged maple syrup. It was fantastic and also not the weirdest thing we've drank over the years - we bought a bottle to take home. Taylor led our private tour, and she tailored (ha) the information well for our level of familiarity with the whiskey making process and for our non-stop interrupting questions. Yellow Rose calls their staff a "hospitality crew" and we think it's an apt name for what they bring. Handshakes and first names abounded, and they even laughed at some of our bad jokes.
There are two big takeaways that we can't shake. First, where were all the people on Saturday afternoon? On our second trip we were practically alone, and a place like this has all the makings of a weekend spot to sit, drink, and enjoy the company of others. Second, there is so much potential in the experimental barrels we saw. We weren't allowed to try them, but just the labels we saw and hints that Taylor offered have invaded our thoughts for several days now. Yellow Rose has got its feet under it, and now we are excited to see where it is going.
Summary
We had a great experience at Yellow Rose, and if we lived closer we would stop in for Bingo and Bourbon, Steak Night, or one of their other appealing social events. The private tour ends in the wine cellar - definitely worth it - and we want to spend more time there talking to staff and sampling their highly approachable offerings.
Get your hands on Premium Collection #2 before it's gone!
Our Stats
First Visit: May 2022
Visit Count: 7
Tours Taken: 1
Spirits Sampled: 10*
Favorite Spirit: Mezcal-finished Outlaw
*we count that shot of bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup
