Drink the Bottles

We've been Old Elk fans for several years, always interested in what was next for this brand.  There were a few fleeting moments where we were seeing fewer and fewer selections on the shelves of our local liquor stores, and we were puzzled.  After some investigating, we found that this non-distilling producer, founded in Fort Collins, Colorado, has sold to Middle West Spirits in Columbus, Ohio.  We were immediatley thrilled about the new ownership, as the Ohio distillery produces some fantastic bottles under their own labels.  Keep an eye out to see what becomes of this new marriage! In today's bourbon landscape, everuy brand seems to be searching for a way to stand out.  Some chas higher proofs.  Others lean heavily into barrel finishes and limited releases.  Old Elk, under the watchful eye of Master Distiller Greg Metze, took a different path.  Rather than focusing solely on what goes into the barrel, they spent years perfecting what happens aft...

  Due north of Boulder, Colorado sits a small town of about 2200 residents and an unsuspecting distillery, born out of the reamins of and old motorcycle repair shop.  Head distiller and co-founder CraigEngelhorn (aka Hair of the Dog) had a dream to take his home-brewed beer hobby to the next level.  With the help of some like-minded friends, Spirit Hound Distillers was born. Today we're tasting two expressions from Spirit Hound.  The first up is the Barrel Project Bourbon, a single barrel bourbon finished in Amercan single malt whiskey barrels.  We should first start by pointing out that every time SHD (Spirit Hound Distillers) refers to WHISKEY, the use the alternative, sans "e".  We don't.  We are "E" people through and through.  But we all have the same love for the stuff in the bottle. This is a really nice lower entry proof bourbon that is as laid back as a Coloradan on a holiday weekend.  Light to medium brown, full of buttery maple sy...

  Did you know there are approximately 750 whiskey and bourbon distilleries in operation in the US?  Did you know that not all great distilled spirits come from central Kentucky?  We did and today we are sharing one of those with you.  We're tasting and sharing the Ironton Distillery Colorado Straight Bourbon today and we are thrilled to have connected with these folks.  The female leadership team of Kallyn Romero (co-owner) and Laura Walters (head distiller) is making their mark in the Colorado distilled spirits scene by offering up a nice selection of lower proof whiskey from their core portfolio, but also throwing in some cask strength bourbon, a single malt finished in a coffee cask and then gin, rum and other goodies.  For distilling only since 2018, they have been cranking out some quality products that will surely continue to foot their footprint in the "brown water" world. With Romero's entrepreneurial knack and Walters' previous experience in the ...