Distillery 291 Readies Its Oldest American Whiskeys To Date

Distillery 291 has made itself known in Colorado as a young, but quite determined, craft whiskey distillery. It has earned, as the distilling team there puts it, “bushels of national and international awards for its spirits with the unique character and flavor of a bygone era, including the title of World’s Best Rye at the 2018 World Whiskies Awards.” 

The distillery, targeting Father’s Day, has released 291 Colorado Straight Rye Whiskey (Batch #1) and 291 Colorado Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Batch #1). Both are said to have matured in deep-charred, new American white oak barrels for three years each, meaning these limited offerings are the oldest whiskeys 291 has released to date.

“This year,” said Michael Myers, owner and founding distiller of 291, in a prepared statement, “these two special releases are a tribute to the two young men that do me the honor of calling me Dad.

“Our Father’s Day releases are always meaningful to us, and these straight whiskeys are a great way to commemorate the day and to acknowledge that we all get better as we get older.”

As it stands now plans call for both whiskeys to be tasting room only releases for around $200 per 750 ml bottle, meaning you’ll need to make your way to its Colorado Springs location to acquire a limited edition bottle. You’ll find more details on each below, including official tasting notes.

291 Colorado Straight Rye Whiskey (Batch #1)

• Loads of rich caramel and toffee upfront on the nose. Leather and pipe tobacco add an earthiness, while cinnamon and clove balance it out with some spice. Hints of toasted oak and aspen round out the nose. The palate is viscous, with the clove, toffee, tobacco, and toasted oak at the forefront. There is a warming black pepper note with the return of the caramel for the long, pleasant finish. This is an assertive and spice forward rye, and yet somehow, at the same, a soft and sweet rye.
• Made from malted rye and corn mash.
• 64.3% Alc/Vol – 128.6 Proof

291 Colorado Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Batch #1)

• The nose is full of assorted stone fruits such as apricots, nectarines, and peach cobbler, along with floral potpourri. Herbal tea, mint, and black pepper add spiciness and depth to the nose, while cedar and aspen dance around on the edges. The stone fruits are the first to greet the palate, along with the mint and herbal tea. The texture is surprisingly soft, especially given the high proof. The clove and black pepper spices quickly move in as it transitions to a lively finish with apricots, aspen, and floral notes.
• Made from corn, malted rye, malted barley mash.
• 66.9% Alc/Vol – 133.8 Proof