Seven Colorado Craft Distillers Join To Barrel A Collaboration Whiskey

Seven Colorado distilleries came together for the second annual Colorado Whiskey Collaboration Project which took place on June 4. Each distillery handcrafted a wheat whiskey, without using any specialty malts, in their local facility and collectively filled a donated new North American white oak, toasted and charred, 53-gallon barrel from Independent Stave Company.

“We wanted to do something fun together to raise money for local charities, while also spreading the awareness of the local Colorado craft-distilling community,” said Sean Smiley, owner of State 38 Distilling and president of the Colorado Distillers Guild. “The Colorado community has such a strong interest in craft distilling and buying local products, that we think this incredibly unique whiskey will raise a substantial amount of money for charity.”

Unlike previous collaboration whiskeys, which have been aged separately and then blended together for bottling, this Colorado Collaboration Wheat Whiskey will be blended prior to barreling, aged as a single entity and bottled after aging. The barrel will be filled in equal parts from 291 Colorado Distillery, Bear Creek Distillery, Laws Whiskey House, Old Elk Distillery, State 38 Distilling, Woody Creek Distillers and Wood’s High Mountain Distillery with their 120-proof wheat whiskey. The barrel will be stored at Laws Whiskey House for at least two years, the time needed to officially make it a Straight Wheat Whisky. The desired goal of the finished wheat whiskey is light, soft and earthy spice characteristics. Once the barrel has reached its maturation, the spirit will be brought to proof and bottled.

The Colorado Whiskey Collaboration Project anticipates yielding roughly 900 bottles from this batch, which will be donated to local charities – one chosen by each distiller –  to be auctioned off at their fundraising events. The plan is to collaborate and fill a new barrel(s) each year.

Participating Distilleries:

• 291 Colorado Distillery – 1647 S. Tejon St. Colorado Springs
• Bear Creek Distillery – 1879 S. Acoma St. Denver
• Law’s Whiskey House – 1420 S. Acoma St. Denver
• Old Elk Distillery – 315 W. Oak St. Fort Collins
• State 38 Distilling – 400 Corporate Cir., Ste. B, Golden
• Woody Creek Distillers – 60 Sunset Dr. Basalt
• Wood’s High Mountain Distillery – 144 W. 1^st St. Salida