The whiskey wash logo
The World's Most-Visited
Whiskey Website
The World's Most-Visited
Whiskey Website

Trending Stories

Search
Bourbon

Bourbon Review: 291 Colorado Bourbon

We review 291 Colorado Bourbon, a young craft bourbon release out of Colorado we find to be of somewhat mixed quality.

OVERALL RATING

  • Carin Moonin is a Portland-based whiskey enthusiast and writer.
Like Conversation
blah blah

Tasting Notes

About:

Appearance:
Deep peach to orange: If a piece of perfectly toasted medium toast with butter were a liquid, it would be the 291.
Nose:
Liquid-filled candies and chocolate-covered cherries mixed with wood char. It’s slightly smoky, but not peaty. Instead, you get a sense of a cabin, the outdoors, a campfire long-extinguished.
Palate:
Begins fruity, with cherry essence—but then goes bitter. Almost as if the 291 already has bitters added to it. I’m impressed that for a 50 proof (100% alcohol) product, it doesn’t taste bitey or only of alcohol, as high-proofs can. Finish: Campfire, carbon char comes to the forefront. Charred to the point of overdone. Adding a bit of water or a few crumbles of ice makes it open up and become less, if not hostile, then slightly more welcoming. Not that it’s completely unapproachable, but it is bold. Conclusion: 291’s website directs me to ride it like I stole it and drink it like I own it. Not sure what they’re going for with that, but: I think that gives me permission to bring this bourbon to a party, leave it there, and steal a bottle of something I like better. I respect what 291 is doing, but at about $70 a bottle, I’m unconvinced the bitter char of this bourbon is worth it. And yet: It’s good quality, and sometimes that boldness is just what you need. FINAL SCORE: 80/100
Finish:
Comments:

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Carin Moonin

Carin Moonin swapped a 5th-floor walkup in Hoboken, NJ, for a house in SE Portland a decade ago and hasn't looked back. She appreciates Portland's vibrant whiskey scene, finding it complements both the weather and her mood. Carin enjoys exploring the diverse world of brown liquor and its many facets. Her writing has been featured in publications such as Salon.com, DailyDot.com, Willamette Week, Portland Monthly, and others. When she's not indulging in whiskey or writing about it, you can find Carin running, reading, or on the hunt for free samples in grocery stores.

All Posts

Latest On The Whiskey Wash

The whiskey wash logo