The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Emily Mullis
Rating: B+
Elwood Single Malt Whiskey
(Credit: Elwood Distilling Company)
Elwood Distilling Company is a small spirits-maker in Boulder, Colorado. They only have one whiskey, their single malt, but a lot of hard work goes into crafting it. Four kinds of malted barely are used in the distilling process, and the mash from that is distilled twice. To finish, toasted cherry wood staves are added to bring out more flavor.
You’ll find their warehouse in the countryside near Boulder. Tours are given and cocktails are served featuring their single malt whiskey, which does well in an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan cocktail. It’s a homey little place where you’ll find the master distiller is friendly and eager to talk whiskey when he’s behind the bar, exactly the sort of thing that makes a small distillery stand apart from a big one.
The Whiskey
Elwood has that Scotch malt whisky influence with a rich, smooth, full bodied flavor that sits in your mouth for while. The initial taste has a bit of caramel in it along side a stronger oak and charred wood taste. You might also get hints of cherry and vanilla. The aftertaste is where the burn is found, and it can last a good while. It’s not a strong burn that knocks you on your butt, but it does linger in your throat until it settles in your chest.
The nose is incredible subtle. There is no overwhelming alcohol, peat, or charred wood, smell but you do get a bit of the cherry oak. In the bottle, the coloring is dark amber and in the glass a medium amber. Its bottled at 86 proof, 43ABV.
The Price
Elwood Single Malt is priced roughly at $50 to $55 dollars. There’s no discount if you decide to take a tour of their warehouse, but through Groupon you can get two free cocktails.
