Distillery 291
Colorado Bourbon Single Barrel
Mash Bill: 80% Corn, 19% Rye, 1% Malted Barley
Age: 1 Year
50% ABV (100 Proof)
Distillery 291 out of Colorado Springs, Colorado is a rising star in the distillery world. They have won multiple awards over the last couple of years, including a World’s Best Rye Whiskey at the World Whisky Awards and a runner up for best craft distillery in Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible. This particular bottle won Double Gold at the San Francisco Spirits Competition.
Color: Dark Bronze, and Red Brown.
Nose: Rye notes come through right off the bat, really enticing. Some cinnamon, honey, and sweet molasses all come through, complimenting each other very well.
Palate: Soft front with a lot of spice on the middle. Dark fruits, cherry, and vanilla compliment each other well, with oak, dark chocolate and molasses all playing parts.
Finish: Lingers for a bit with the Aspen tree stave finish coming through and being very apparent, adding a really unique note on the end.
With Water
Nose: The sweet fruit notes come out on the nose with water, and the rye gains a bit of ground as well. The honey and cinnamon fade a bit in the background, but some vanilla notes grow a bit.
Palate: Interestingly, the sip actually seems to get thicker and creamier with a couple drops of water. The spicy notes in the mid palate fade a little bit. An overall sweeter sip once the water is added
Finish: The aspen notes come through even more with the water added, with some notes of cherry and oak. The finish does shorten a bit with water added though.
Ratings:
Angela: 89/100
Zach: 94/100
Overall: 91.5/100
This is a terrific bottle that earns a couple extra points for the uniqueness of the aspen finish. While the price tag is a bit higher than some of it’s Colorado produced brethren, it is worth the tag to pick up a bottle.
