A 9 Year Old Elk Single Barrel Bourbon, selected by Colorado Golfers, Bars, and Apparel Companies.
The Story behind the pick is just as good as the pick itself. ParHopper Apparel Partnered with The Local Drive and selected a very special release from Old Elk Distillery. This 9 Year barrel ended up being a perfect Selection to work for both The Local Drive and ParHopper, able to lean on the virtual course available at The Local Drive, The Lost 9. Coming in at 109.9 Proof, with a Dinosaur label and a ball marker hand waxed onto the bottle, this particular selection is perfect to load up into your gear for a day on the links. Especially if like me, you like the 9 holes of a Par 3.
If you want to learn a little more about ParHopper and this particular selection, check out Episode 17 of A Colorado Craft Podcast!
In the Bottle:
Mashbill:
51% Corn
34% Malted Barley
15% Rye
Age:
9 Years in New American Oak
Proof:
109.9 Proof
(54.95% ABV)
In the Glass:
Color:
Dark Golden Brown, not a lot of oils making it very clear.
Neat:
Nose:
Chocolate and Vanilla are immediately noticeable, the Malted Barley clearly influencing the nose. There are some hints of cherry, as well as cinnamon and other baking spices.
Palate:
A Very sweet start on the palate, lots of burnt sugars and vanilla, reminiscent of Crème Brûlée. A lighter mouth feel, not too thick or oily, but there are a lot of mid palate spices, hints of white pepper and cinnamon.
Finish:
A lengthy finish, lots of dry oak and tannins. There are a lot of complimentary sweet notes to the drier tannins, some brown sugar and vanilla. There is an earthy quality to the finish as well. It leaves a very positive and lasting impression.
With Water:
Nose:
The bright red fruit notes explode, ripe cherry pie with lots of vanilla and burnt sugars. The rye spices really come through stronger on the nose instead of the malted barley.
Palate:
More sweetness on the palate, with more of a pie crust or even sweet baked breads. The mid palate is still filled with rye spices, very enjoyable dessert bread that isn’t overpoweringly sweet.
Finish:
The finish shortens a significant amount, but is completely filled with malted chocolate notes and vanilla. The tannins are a little bit less, but still showed through. It gives the impression of a higher level char.
Final Thoughts:
I love high proof bourbons, simply for the fact that it is easy to add small amounts of water, or let an ice cube melt in it, and sip to experience the flavors change. Typically, distillers will choose a proof they feel most exemplifies the qualities of the spirit they have crafted, but with a higher proof I feel you get to experience the raw output of their efforts.
What’s more, I love seeing what can change with each drop of water, effecting the proof and changing some of the flavors. Old Elk is, in my opinion, absolutely fantastic as a crafter of spirits. Greg Metze has a fantastic idea of how to create an excellent spirit, and ParHopper partnered with The Local Drive were able to pick one of the best older selections that Old Elk has offered to date. Maybe it’s the fact that I first tried it while hitting golf balls on a virtual course, maybe it’s the ball maker waxed onto the bottle, but whatever it is this particular selection makes me feel like I can go out and play a solid round of golf. As I found out, much to my chagrin, it did not improve my golf talent. It did however, improve my enjoyment of the day.
We are proud to be sponsored by Centennial Cuts!
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