Old Elk
Old Elk Straight Wheat Whiskey Finished In Tawny Port 1st Avenue Bourbon Crew Barrel Pick 55.05% 75cl
- Details
Based in Fort Collins, Denver, Old Elk was founded in 2013 by Curt Richardson, who also created Otterbox, a well known brand of phone cases.
The Master Distiller is Greg Metze, who had spent nearly 40 years working at the MGP distillery in Indiana before leaving in 2016. The vast majority of Old Elk whiskey is sourced from MGP - and while for many American whiskey drinkers this is seen as a 'cop-out' and a slight against the quality, Old Elk worked out an agreement with Greg initially to produce their own specific mashbill and distillate as opposed to purchasing 'standard' stocks. Greg's relationship grew strong with Old Elk and he now runs the new distillery, with around 90% of the whiskey stock still coming from MGP.
This Barrel Pick was chosen by Marcia Wells and some of her customers of 1st Avenue Liquors in St. Petersburg, Florida. I've become good friends with Marcia over the last few years and she has done an amazing building up a fantastic business which now includes a new 'Clubhouse' specialising in North American whiskies. Her Barrel Picks are consistently exellent and this is no exception - with the added bonus that the Tawny Port cask that used to finish this particular bottling remains with half the whiskey in the Clubhouse, and from customers can 'thieve' a measure from when they visit. As such the remaining liquid continues to evolve over time until it is finally emptied.
The Port element is evident, and Tawny Ports in particular can introduce a soft nuttiness which is prevalent here. There is still the light touch of wheat alongside caramel and vanilla, hinting at creme brulee and pecan brittle. A single drop of water will definitely help - the heat of the ABV does overpower the softer tones somewhat but it only needs a drop of water and no more.
This is a phenomenal whiskey, sweet yet spicy and with a flavour profile that changes with every sip.
- Delivery & Returns
DELIVERY CHARGES:
Shipping rates are based on WEIGHT of goods - the total weight of your order will determine the cost of the shipping charge due to price banding imposed by Royal Mail. Orders weighing up to a max of 2kg will be charged £5.99, and orders weighing over 2kg will be charged £7.99. ANY PURCHASE OVER £150 WILL RECEIVE FREE SHIPPING.
PLEASE NOTE: The Spirit Specialist is CLOSED on Sundays and Mondays - all orders are collected by Royal Mail the day after they are packaged up. As such, if you place an order on a Saturday, Sunday or Monday, your order will be packaged up on the following Tuesday at re-opening, and then collected by Royal Mail on the Wednesday morning. PLEASE BEAR THIS IN MIND IF YOU ARE WORKING TO A DEADLINE!
DUE TO ONGOING ISSUES WITH BREXIT AND COURIERS UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE CURRENTLY UNABLE TO SHIP OUTSIDE OF THE UK
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Items are NOT insured as standard, please contact us if you would like to discuss additional insurance for premium products.
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All goods must be examined at the time of delivery and any damages or shortage must be recorded on the relevant delivery acceptance forms with the delivery. Un-examined or un-checked goods that result in a subsequent claim outside of a 48 hour period will not be accepted. Queries relating to claims must be made within 48 hours of receiving the goods, otherwise claims cannot be guaranteed.
