Colorado has a booming distilling industry right now, and each one seems to be more and more unique, with some very delicious flavors. Well Distillery 291 is no exception to this, especially with their Single Barrel Aspen Stave finished whiskey. Aspen tress are one of the main images that come to mind when people think Colorado, and 291 had a great idea to use Aspen Staves in their whiskey. 291 is located in Colorado Springs Colorado, and this whiskey is a rye and malt mash.
Proof: 101.7
Mash: Rye Malt
Color: Orange Amber, clear
Nose: Very sweet nose full of orange peel/zest notes, and some candy notes. The rye is very apparent, very enticing, and there is a wood smell that can only be the Aspen Staves. This unique nose is enough to make this bottle stand out from almost any other barrel.
Palate: Spicy rye notes come through on the front, but with lots of sweet and candy flavors on the mid and back palate. It is also an extremely smooth sip, especially for the proof.
With water:
Nose: The nose is a lot more sweet citrus and candied orange, with the aspen staves coming out a lot more. There are also some baking spice notes, nutmeg and clove.
Palate: The aspen staves come out a lot more on the palate as well, but the sweetness fades and the finish becomes a little bit shorter. This is another whiskey that we both agreed would be better without water.
Ratings:
Angela: 90/100
Zach: 90/100
Overall: 90/100
For maybe the first time, we both completely agreed on the rating, a 90/100 points. This is one that is so unique that is absolutely worth trying at the very least one time. The rye and aspen in this whiskey leaves your tongue tingling, and makes you want at least one more sip.
