Old Elk Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Old Elk · Old Elk Distillery
Old Elk's high-malt mash bill gives it a grain-forward personality that favors texture over heat. It drinks like a bourbon designed for contemplation rather than celebration. A compelling Colorado entry that earns its place through deliberateness, not volume.
Nose
Soft butterscotch and malted grain open into gentle waves of vanilla and baked apple. There is a creamy sweetness, almost custard-like, with a whisper of toasted oak behind it.
Palate
The mouthfeel is unusually silky for a bourbon at this proof — a result of the slow, low-barrel-entry proof approach. Flavors of caramel, soft wheat bread, and roasted pecans layer neatly, with a touch of dried orange peel adding brightness.
Finish
Medium-length and clean, tapering with gentle oak and lingering butterscotch. Nothing shouts; everything settles.
- Mash Bill
- 51% corn, 34% malted barley, 15% rye
- Barrel Type
- New charred American white oak
- Bottled in Bond
- No
- Single Barrel
- No
- Wheated
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
The Nightwatch — 2 oz Old Elk Bourbon · 0.75 oz Demerara syrup · 2 dashes walnut bitters · Stir over a large cube, express an orange peel, and discard.
Food Pairing
Pecan-crusted pork tenderloin with a honey-mustard glaze
Crafted at Old Elk Distillery in Fort Collins, Colorado, under the guidance of master distiller Greg Metze, whose decades at MGP informed his patient, malt-heavy approach to bourbon.
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