Old Elk Wheated Bourbon – Whiskey Tribunal 2020
Quick Stats:
- Distiller: Old Elk Distillery
- Spirit: Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Aged: Unstated
- Price: $54.99
- Proof: 115
- Old Elk Website
- Davidoff Tampa Website
About The Distillery & Bottle: - “At Old Elk Distillery, in Fort Collins, Colorado, craft is everything. Founded by serial entrepreneur, Curt Richardson, the innovator who created OtterBox and Blue Ocean Enterprises, Old Elk Distillery creates their own process for spirits. To them, excellence does not come from riding trends, but comes from experience and patience instead. Look at their Master Distiller, Greg Metze. With over four decades of experience in producing world class whiskies, Metze worked with the team to create Old Elk’s signature Slow Cut proofing process.”
- “Wheaters, come gather ‘round because this one’s for you. A delicious and well-balanced wheated bourbon is something every whiskey lover should get their hands on. Ours is a chance for us to show you and the world what we’re capable of. By using our expertise in creating our delicious flagship bourbon, we tweaked our recipe and upped the wheat and kept the corn at the minimum. Our wheated bourbon consists of 51 percent corn, 45 percent wheat and four percent malted barley. The result? A liquid that allows for each ingredient to not only shine on its own, but highlights what happens when success meets craft.”
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Nose
(4)
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Palate
(4.5)
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Finish
(4)
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Heat vs Proof
(4)
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Value
(4.5)
Notes & Review
Nose: Vanilla extract, whoppers malt balls, black pepper, deep toffy
Palate: Baking spices, caramel cream, tobacco leaf, cinnamon pralines, clove
Finish: Baking spice, toasted oak, malted vanilla, black pepper, and a trailed flavor of charred wood
Review: Old Elk is one of those bottles that has, over the last few years, cultivated a following of whiskey enthusiasts. And, for good reason.
Old Elk’s pours aren’t only unique, but they’ve embodied more desirable qualities across a wide variety of whiskey styles. Pair that with an affordable price, usually nestling right under $60, and you have yourself a great dram that won’t break the bank.
The whiskey Tribunal 2020 single barrel in Tampa, FL was provided by Davidoff of Geneva, Tampa’s premier cigar bar with a massive whiskey selection.
While I’ve tried two different Old Elk’s before this one, I have to say, this one is great!
It’s a little more on the savory side, so there isn’t a massive amount of sweetness on this that many may be accustomed to, but it’s there in balance with the more savory, earthy, and spiced notes in the pour.
The nose opens up with a malty, peppery note and then the sweetness pops forward. The palate is full of flavor with baking spices taking up the front of the taste, followed by an unrolling of more sweet and earthy notes. It finishes on a nice note of malt and toasted oak before fading into the traditional charred wood but with a little twinge of lingering vanilla malt.
I really like how the different notes roll, almost like a wave, rather than hitting you all at once. I feel like it really separates and lets you pick out and enjoy the individual notes rather than sifting through the pour searching for them.
Overall, at less than $60, this is a pour that can stand strong amongst other bottles in the same price category, and we wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one once this one runs low (which we anticipate won’t take long).
