Old Elk Single Barrel Wheated Bourbon

Old Elk has been a bit of a mix for me. I have tried a single barrel straight that was great, but their "special" reserve was not so great. This bottle is the single barrel wheat variety (Harper Liqour Land). Hoping it is more like my first experience and not the disappointing reserve. Keep in mind as always single barrels can vary so your local shop may be a bit different. Nose is a bit sweet on this bottle. I am almost getting hints of Golden Grahams. There is a touch of ethanol that comes through almost in an astringent way (which isn't particularly appealing). First sip follows the nose with cereal and honey notes. The wheat definitely brings a softness to the whiskey overall. There is a mild cinnamon burn that builds from the outside and washes over you before fading out. The finish tails off to a prolonged after burn that fades in a rather unremarkable way. Overall this dram wants to be a ten, but winds up as an overdressed seven. The honey and cereal notes are really quite nice, but the slightly off nose and so so finish just leave you wanting more. I recommend you try a sample from your local if they offer you a single barrel before you dive in. Old Elk definitely has some promise, but execution still is a little ways off for me.

This wheated bourbon single barrel is from everyone's favorite wholesaler: Costco! I picked this one up in Los Angeles, it comes in at 113.8 proof. Nose: A dusty caramel note, not as sweet more on the toasted, nutty, toffee side and a hint of oak. Palate: Toasted sweet oak, vanilla, with a hint of fudge Finish: A nice medium to long finish with lingering vanilla and caramel notes This wheated recipe has really grown on me. It's more woody vs. other mainstream wheated recipes. I love the complexity this profile offers and has been a nice sipper to mix things up from the Maker's Marks of the world. Who knew Costco of all places would have such a stellar pick?

Costco San Diego single barrel. Nose: Buttered wheat toast and dried red fruit. Palate: Semisweet, a little oily, more wheat bread, dried fruits, baking spices, a little citrus, caramel and vanilla. Finish: Longish, smoldering spices plus vanilla , caramel and a hint of cherry. A thoroughly enjoyable wheated bourbon.

This grew on me over time but still not overly impressed. First thought was overly sour bitter oak but as it opened up i got more of the french toast notes i had heard about. It still has a funk to me that im not a fan of but was able to enjoy by the end of the bottle. This was a 110 store pick from cristys.

Old Elk 9 Year Wheated 119.7 proof Aroma - tremendous. Caramel, strawberries and berry jam, fruity cereal, cinnamon sugar cookies. Taste - wow. Taste follows the nose here. Overall - incredible all the way around. Finish is soft and pillow-like but medium at best. Proof perfect. The hug is quite mild.

One of the best noses I have experienced. 5 star if it were just the nose. Unfortunately, that was the peak of the experience. Palate was good (4 star ish). Finish was rather weak, especially given proof. Something like Larceny has as good or better finish compared to this which is 3x the cost.