The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Richard Thomas
Rating: A-
Laws 8 Year Old Four Grain Bottled in Bond Bourbon
(Credit: Laws Whiskey House)
These last few years have seen Colorado-based Laws Whiskey House build on the age of their bonded whiskeys, year by year. I have enjoyed watching the progression and the results of this so much that I am thinking I need to time a 2023 visit to the Centennial State to coincide with release of the next batches of bourbon and rye. I am particularly keen on these things, since I have been beating the drum of the gaining maturity of American craft whiskey for longer than these extra-aged Laws bonded whiskeys have been around. It’s more than that in this case, though. This stuff is just that damn good.
A quick review of what bonded whiskey is, to explain what I mean by “extra-aged.” According to a Federal law passed in 1897, bonded whiskey must come from a single distillery and a single distilling season; be aged under government supervision; be aged for a minimum of four years; and bottled at 100 proof. Thus, any whiskey aged for longer than four years is beyond the statutory minimum required by law.
Beyond that, Laws makes a four grain bourbon: 60% corn, 20% heirloom wheat, 10% heirloom rye, 10% heirloom malted barley. This is Batch #6 in the series, and I am now very curious to know if Batch #7 will be nine years old.
The Bourbon
Belying its strength and maturity, this Laws bourbon takes a light amber coloring after pouring. I thought the nose led with a scent much like a zest I sometimes make, from orange rind and dried apricots. Add to that a vaguely nutty quality. Sipping on the Laws Four Grain gave me the same, but seasoned with pine needles and cookie spices. Much of this drops from the picture on the finish, leaving behind a lingering woody, nutty character.
Laws is steadily pushing their whiskey towards middle age, although this one isn’t quite there yet. None the less, the results really do continue to improve, step-by-step. The 8 year old bonded four grain shows some sophistication while remaining very approachable, making it a plain delicious sipper.
The Price
The best part is the price point: $79.99. Checking with online retailers, it looks widely available at that price point, unmarred by a mark-up. My advice is if you see it for anything like $80, grab it.
I did the “free” tour of Law’s Whiskey House back in the winter of 2017 along with a Denver Post journalist that was doing a video tour of Colorado distilleries for her paper. At that time they only had 3 & 4 year bourbon and there was a noticeable difference with Batch #1 of the bonded 4-year bourbon. Living on the Western Slope about 300 miles from Denver, I don’t have the same access to their great whiskey someone in Denver has. Anyway, I was lucky enough to get a bottle of the 6-year bonded bourbon — also Batch #1. The latest I was able to get was the 8-year bonded bourbon you reviewed here, Batch #6-S, and found it to be exceptional bourbon. I just called the tasting room today to find out if there would be a 9-year bonded bourbon released, and they didn’t know. Anyway, in the meantime, I have a 7-year bonded San Luis Valley Rye that is also very good, and remain a huge fan of Law’s Whiskey in Denver, hoping for 9&10 year bonded bourbon to come my way.