Brian’s Old Elk Wheated Bourbon Review:
Old Elk Wheated Bourbon review written 25-May-2021
OLD ELK WHEATED BOURBON REVIEW:
This bourbon was suggested to me by my local Liquor Store clerk as a “Newly Received” product. He said he had not yet had a pour but had heard good things. I snapped up the bottle as it is nice to enjoy a soft whiskey once in a while. While it is not a stellar bourbon it’s not bad and certainly an easy sipper as I expected. If you like a simple wheated whiskey, then Old Elk Wheated is worth a look.
OLD ELK WHEATED BOURBON VITAL STATS:
Category: Wheated Bourbon
Region: Fort Collins, Colorado Distillery
Sourced: Sourced from MGP using an Old Elk recipe created by Master Distiller Greg Metz
Distillery: Old Elk Distillery
Mash Bill: 51% corn, 45% wheat, 4% malted barley
Barrel Char: unpublished
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: Five year old bourbon
ABV: 46% (92 Proof)
Price: $64.95 (in Idaho 2021)
Learn more at www.oldelk.com.
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
For the evaluation, alternate amounts to achieve a review portions were added to Glencairns from a newly opened bottle. The bourbon was then enjoyed neat with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.
Check out her review for this bourbon here!
OLD ELK WHEATED BOURBON NOSE:
Old Elk Wheated smells warm and inviting. I sense sweet corn and drying wheat. Mixed with apricot and caramel apple, are faint allspice, powdered ginger and white pepper. Warm wheat bread, and brown sugared pastry provide a foundation for light vanilla, caramelized sugar, orange blossom honey, and candied pecans. The nose is simple as light toasted oak wafts in and out of the aromas.
OLD ELK WHEATED BOURBON PALATE:
Old Elk Wheated tastes different than what was foretold on the nose. Yes it’s warm and wheaty, but there’s also a soft herbalness. Instead of light fruits, I get currents and drying plums. Cinnamon and clove amp up the allspice and pepper adds to the warmth. Woody, burnt brown sugar caramel adds depth, as does a bit of faint dark molasses poured over a lone hazelnut. Wood is more dominate on the palate as well. I get dry and heavy oak along with more hazy, toasted barrel char yet in the end, the palate is simple and gentle.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
As noted above, Old Elk Wheated is a simple and gentle bourbon. When held in the mouth, I get a warm tickle on my tongue, yet the liquid has a creamy mouth feel. After each sip, fat clinging legs return the liquid to the honey colored pool leaving behind a nice crown with fat clinging drops.
OLD ELK WHEATED BOURBON FINISH:
Old Elk Wheated has a short to medium dry finish without many flavors. It warms the throat with faint wheat, allspice, pepper and burnt woody caramel. And after each sip, dry heavy oak char fades away.
MY RATING: 87/100
Would I buy this whiskey again? YES
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 87/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
OLD ELK WHEATED BOURBON TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
Back to …
I was enjoying Old Elk Wheated Bourbon as I got notification of your post! I also bought it for ‘something new’ in the library. I got a bit of graham cracker on the palate in addition to the oak, vanilla, and wheat notes. What I noticed is that it stayed consistent during the tasting, and was generally enjoyable throughout. How do you feel about the $65 price? I certainly enjoyed it, and much more so than Weller Special Reserve, but I might be more inclined to pick up Maker’s cask or their limited releases.
Hi Karl, Thanks for the comments.
$65 is at the upper value point, but there’s enough differences to set Old Elk Wheated Bourbon apart from other wheaters. You mentioned a couple … Weller Special Reserve (not a fan) and Maker’s Cask Strength releases (among my favorites). If you get a chance to pick up any of the Larceny Barrel Proof offerings, don’t hesitate to bring one home. At $49.95 MSRP they are an outstanding value.
– Brian