Laws Whiskey House in Denver is one of the older Colorado Distilleries, and boasts that they are reimagining American whiskey.
A big part of what Laws is showcasing is a terrior focused whiskey, but purely Colorado. The San Luis Valley and Eastern Plain where their grains come from play a large part in the flavors that are imparted in the whiskey. The thin air and climate of the Mile High City affect how the liquid interacts with the barrel, changing the way it would taste if it was aged elsewhere in the country. Every step of the process is thought out and deliberate.
Posted on the Wall of distillery, above the fermentation tanks, are the words “There are no shortcuts.”
Laws Whiskey takes this seriously.
Being the Colorado distillery that originally launched my love of Colorado Spirits so many years ago, there is no doubt that Laws has only continued to improve over time. The 4 Grain Bourbon has come a long ways from the young release that was a single barrel selection I initially fell in love with.
This Experiential Series takes that Four Grain Bourbon and puts it into a Calvados barrel to finish aging. This additional aging allows for the Bourbon to still showcase much of what it is, while adding a completely different twist.
What is Calvados?
Calvados is a spirit that is made from cider pressed from apples in specific regions of France with an appellation d’origine contrôlée(AOC) Status, setting specific rules for how and where the spirit can be made. There are over 200 varieties that are used in Calvados, ranging from sweet apples to tart, that are pressed and fermented into a dry cider. That cider is then single distilled in a Column still, or double distilled in an alembic pot still, and has to be aged for at least 2 years in oak barrels. If you want more information on the history and production of Calvados, Wine Enthusiast has an excellent page to let you learn more about it.
In the Bottle:
Mashbill:
4 Grain Bourbon:
60% Corn
20% Wheat
10% Rye
10% Malt
Age:
6 Years in #3 Char American Oak Barrels, Finished 3+ months in 400L Calvados Cask.
Proof:
95 Proof (47.5% ABV)
Note: This is a non-chill filtered Whiskey
In the Glass:
Color:
Light golden straw, a slight brown tint, clear, and leaves slight amounts of oil legs on the glass.
Without Water:
Nose:
Earthy notes of hay and trees, paired with some vanilla and orange zest. There is a floral quality to the nose as well, reminiscent of flowers that bloom in the fall.
Palate:
Sweet vanilla and baking spices, bit of cinnamon right up front. The mid palate is much drier with a black tea and dried baking spices-allspice and clove. The overall mouthfeel is lighter, easy drinking.
Finish:
The very beginning of the finish is tannic, oaky, and dry, really continuing well off the middle of the palate. Once you exhale after the sip though, there is an unmistakable and delicious apple flavor that comes through. It is simultaneously sweet like a honeycrisp but has that green and tart Granny Smith apple quality as well.
With Water:
Nose:
More orange zest, even orange blossom, and vanilla with a sweet sugar and vanilla quality. The earthiness and floral, apart from the orange, fades though making it a little more 1 dimensional. The nose is better neat, Laws cut this perfectly.
Palate:
Following the lead of the nose, a few drops of water make this sweeter with the citrus quality of orange zest and vanilla really coming through. The mid palate is still a little drier, but a more sweetened black tea and clove quality. The mouthfeel is almost identical.
Finish:
The sweetness comes through more again, but the apple really comes through the entirety of the finish now. With it being more apple focused and sweetened, the dry tannic quality fades and the finish shortens a bit as well.
Final Thoughts:
This is another of the bottles where the distiller cut it to a perfect proof in my humble opinion. The few drops of water really took away from some of the depth and complexity. That being said, this pour neat was beyond my expectations. The floral and earthy notes combined with vanilla and baking spice culminating in the beautiful apple flavor at the very end really shows off what kind of depths can be added by finishing an already excellent product in a barrel previously used for another spirit, wine, or beer.
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