Old Elk Bourbon Whiskey 750ml

Old Elk Bourbon Whiskey is created by master distiller Greg Metze, formerly of MGP, for Old Elk Distillery in Fort Collins, Colorado. Two unique aspects of its production are a much higher proportion of malted barley than is typical in a bourbon (along with corn and rye), as well as a slower proofing process for bringing the barrel-strength whiskey down to its final proof for bottling. It is bottled at 44% abv.

Old Elk Bourbon Whiskey is produced by the Old Elk Distillery in Fort Collins, Colorado which is helmed by Greg Metze who used to be the master distiller at MGP. This whiskey uses a mashbill that contains an insane amount of malted barley for a bourbon, 34% to be exact. Most bourbons come in at the 4-6% range making this a unique mashbill in the bourbon world where rye or wheat are typically the second highest grain in the mashbill.

Old Elk Distillery was founded by Curt Richardson, also the visionary behind Otterbox. Joined by Greg Metze, former master distiller at MGP in Indiana, the company is currently in the final stages of opening a 35,000 square foot distillery and aging warehouse in Fort Collins, Colorado targeted for completion at the end of 2019.

Nose:

Light with traces of cinnamon and cocoa which layer against traditional notes of caramel and burnt oak. While the scents are nice, they’re very delicate necessitating a good hard inhale to eke them out.

Palate:

The sip enters gently and the first thing I notice is its velvety mouthfeel. It’s quite easy to roll around in the mouth with almost no burn, and it takes a few moments for the flavors to develop.

Finish:

The flavors crescendo, with a brief eruption of baking spice and chocolatey caramel notes. The mild intensity quickly dissipates, leaving traces of brown sugar and maple syrup sweetness against rye spice.