Old Elk Blend of Bourbons Review

Updated December 17, 2018

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B

Colorado’s Old Elk Distillery is the current project of Greg Metze, formerly of MGP fame. This is a sourced whiskey, something created to start the brand. Old Elk speaks of three partners, so presumably it’s a blend of whiskeys from three separate distilleries. They bottled it at 88 proof.

The Bourbon
Old Elk has a dull copper look in the glass. Making the swish leaves behind a thick coat, but one that lets plentiful tears fall through it.

A sniff gives caramel with a current of cloves, tinged with dry cedar. The mouthfeel of the whiskey is fairly light, with a flavor that is predominately spicy and dry. The sweetness and vanilla take a back seat here for a whiskey that is actually quite reminiscent of high rye bourbons, like those based on MGP’s high rye mash bill stock or Basil Hayden. From there, the finish is short and runs drier and spicier, due to the sweetness having faded away altogether.

The Price
A bottle of this should cost you about $50, but I’ve seen that some unscrupulous retailers have it marked up to as high as $70. So, beware of potential price gouging.

Editor’s Note: One of those three sources is Old Elk itself. Metze helped Old Elk develop a “high malt” bourbon (51% corn, 34% malted barley and 15% rye) while still working at MGP. This blend is a mix of whiskeys aged between 2 1/2 and over 8 years; presumably the younger part of the blend is made at Old Elk.