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Bourbon

Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey

OVERALL
RATING

5

Whiskey Review: Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Tasting Notes:

About:
Appearance:
Nose:
At first sniff, I’m taken aback by a strong cherry jolly rancher/cough syrup note, which mingles with brown sugar, vanilla, and sticky caramel. There’s just a whisper of oak in the background. After a few minutes in the glass, the artificial fruit note mellows out, and I get a rounder vanilla-butterscotch character, with some good spice layered in.
Palate:
Flavor-wise, it’s mostly cloying and sugary—more caramel and butterscotch, mostly—but it’s surprisingly hot for an 88-proof bourbon, to the point where my tongue is almost numb after sipping it. That fake cherry note is back on the finish, an effect I don’t find particularly pleasant. With some water, it opens up, giving me a nice pie crust note alongside the caramel-vanilla ones, with an oakier finish. is so fiery hot at this ABV. Water improves things quite a bit, but at $45, I still wouldn’t spring for this. Metze, obviously, is the real deal, and this project could show promise in the future, but this initial offering needs work. Sending User Review 2.89 (18 votes) Buy A Bottle Share: XFacebookLinkedInEmail Drinks Aizome Island – Tropical Style Minor Cobbler Strawberry Rhubarb Julep Crimson & Clover Club Wynken, Blynken, & Nog Related Articles Whiskey Review: Wheel Horse Cigar Blend Bourbon Editor’s Note: The Whiskey Wash… READ ARTICLE ? about Whiskey Review: Wheel Horse Cigar Blend Bourbon Bourbon / Reviews Whiskey Review: Highline Triple Rye Whiskey Editor’s Note: This whiskey was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whiskey Review: Highline Triple Rye Whiskey American / Reviews Whiskey Review: Savage & Cooke American Whiskey Editor’s Note: This whiskey was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whiskey Review: Savage & Cooke American Whiskey American / Reviews Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Octomore 14.3 Editor’s Note: This whisky was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Octomore 14.3 Reviews / Scotch Whisky Review: Glenglassaugh 12 Years Old Editor’s Note: This whisky was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whisky Review: Glenglassaugh 12 Years Old Reviews / Scotch Whiskey Review: Highline American Whiskey Editor’s Note: This whiskey was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whiskey Review: Highline American Whiskey American / Reviews Whiskey Review: Savage & Cooke Rye Whiskey Editor’s Note: This whiskey was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whiskey Review: Savage & Cooke Rye Whiskey American / Reviews Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Octomore 14.2 Editor’s Note: This whisky was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Octomore 14.2 Reviews / Scotch Whisky Review: Glenglassaugh Sandend Editor’s Note: This whisky was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whisky Review: Glenglassaugh Sandend Reviews / Scotch Whiskey Review: Highline Straight Kentucky Whiskey Editor’s Note: This whiskey was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whiskey Review: Highline Straight Kentucky Whiskey American / Reviews Katelyn Best Katelyn is a freelance writer in Portland, Oregon. She’s a regular contributor to the Whiskey Wash with an affinity for the unique and weird side of whiskey. More by Katelyn Best Follow us on Twitter Find us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Connect with on on LinkedIn About Advertise Subscribe Editorial Standards Privacy Policy Terms of Use
Finish:
Comments:
Overall, I don’t particularly care for this bourbon. I find the nose unbalanced, and I’m honestly mystified as to how the palate is so fiery hot at this ABV. Water improves things quite a bit, but at $45, I still wouldn’t spring for this. Metze, obviously, is the real deal, and this project could show promise in the future, but this initial offering needs work.

At first glance, the copy on the Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey label is predictable sourced-whiskey fare: The whiskey itself is described as “smooth” and “rich,” while Old Elk’s master distiller is name-dropped in the vaguest terms possible. “Few have influenced the American bourbon landscape” more than Greg Metze, the label explains, saying he “guided” the production of this bourbon.

That name, though, will jump out to sharp-eyed drinkers. Old Elk is a sourced whiskey in that it was made at MGP. What’s unique about it is that when it went into barrels, Metze was the master distiller at the industrial-scale spirits producer.

That statement about his influence on American bourbon probably isn’t an exaggeration—although it is something of a lie by omission, as it leaves out Metze’s even bigger influence on American rye whiskey. Whiskey writer Fred Minnick calls Metze “perhaps the greatest rye distiller of our time,” noting that he’s responsible for the majority of the rye whiskey on the shelves today. According to a post on Minnick’s blog, when Metze left MGP in 2016, his plan was to start work as a spirits consultant. Between then and now, he partnered with Old Elk and is now “exclusive” to the Fort Collins, Colorado distillery.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there aren’t many specifics available about the whiskey itself from Old Elk, although according to Minnick, the recipe is “51% Corn, 34% Malted Barley, 15% Rye and proprietary yeast. Char No. 4 oak barrels are used.” The final product is bottled at 44% ABV, and retails for around $45.

Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon
image via Old Elk

Tasting Notes: Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Nose: At first sniff, I’m taken aback by a strong cherry jolly rancher/cough syrup note, which mingles with brown sugar, vanilla, and sticky caramel. There’s just a whisper of oak in the background. After a few minutes in the glass, the artificial fruit note mellows out, and I get a rounder vanilla-butterscotch character, with some good spice layered in.

Palate: Flavor-wise, it’s mostly cloying and sugary—more caramel and butterscotch, mostly—but it’s surprisingly hot for an 88-proof bourbon, to the point where my tongue is almost numb after sipping it. That fake cherry note is back on the finish, an effect I don’t find particularly pleasant. With some water, it opens up, giving me a nice pie crust note alongside the caramel-vanilla ones, with an oakier finish.

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