Old Elk Wheat Whiskey Review
By Richard Thomas
Average Rating: C
(Credit: Old Elk)
Here at The Whiskey Reviewer, we took a look at Old Elk, the brand launched with the guidance of former MGP Master Distiller Greg Metze, with their 2018 inaugural Blend of Bourbons. They’ve since opened their tasting room in Fort Collins, Colorado and have greatly expanded their line. It’s well past time to circle back around and explore that line, and I’ll start with their offering for the most obscure category in American Whiskey, wheat whiskey.
This is a 95% wheat whiskey, and most likely sourced from MGP, thus a product Metze is intimate with. That wheat is red winter wheat, to be specific, the wheat most often used in American whiskey-making. The remainder of the mash is barley malt, and the whiskey is aged for 5 years. Old Elk’s Wheat Whiskey is bottled at 100 proof.
The Whiskey
The color of this pour is surprisingly pale, being golden rather than copper or amber. The nose is came across as an oak platter of warm, freshly toasted and cracked wheat, drizzled with caramel. But for a wheat whiskey, it’s surprisingly spicy. That spiciness has soft edges, mind you, but my first sip smacked of ginger and cloves, with the green apple and golden raisins coming up only with the second sip and bringing on some balance. Add a note of vanilla, and you’ve got the palate. It’s tasty, but uncomplicated. The faintest hint of apple pie rolls off into the finish, then runs peppery as it fades away.
Wheat whiskey fans aren’t a huge group, but they do exist, and their usual problem is finding some variety. Bernheim is the only big distiller entry in the class, with the rest coming from craft outfits that don’t have wide distribution, like Dry Fly and Banner. Old Elk thus adds some much needed width to the category, while also granting easier access to MGP’s stock of wheat whiskey.
Addendum by Douglas Fraser
On the nose are notes of honey, vanilla, and wheat. The palate is also full of wheat along with vanilla, oak, and wheat. The finish is rather short with notes of vanilla, oak, wheat, and leather.
The Price
Officially, this is $65. Generally speaking, that is about what you’ll pay for it too.
