Old Elk Straight Wheat Whiskey

To be honest, I am primarily a bourbon drinker. Aside from Forty Creek Unity, I've not really sought-out whiskey. So when I took home this bottle, I foolishly thought what I had just bought was the new Double Wheated release (Yes, it helps to read labels thoroughly, but I'm famous for letting my excitement distract me). Instead of returning it, I figured I'd keep it... branch-out a bit — and who knows, maybe I'll love it.....? Well I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. It's good. But for a $69 bottle, I had higher hopes for, and higher expectations from, this Old Elk whiskey. I like wheated bourbons, so I thought this would impress me more. It's got the burn and the spicy smoke I get from many Bourbons. But I'm just not getting much more than that. Maybe I'll have a different take after my second pour. If I do, I'll come back with edits. If not, my rating stands and it'll have proven a "live and learn" experience: I like bourbon(!).

It's a 95/5 - but not the rye recipe you expect from MGP. This is a wheat whiskey made from 95% soft red winter wheat and 5% malted barley. I like to think Greg Metze (who spent 38 years at the MGP distillery) had to go with the 95/5 ratio for old times sake. Nose: A dry cereal note pops out at front, like Cheerios. Wheat bread is also along for the ride. Light fruit and sweet notes shine after: peaches and cream with some nutmeg at the end. Palate: Medium body, vanilla cream followed with some oak and light spice. Finish: Short to Medium, the sweetness lingers before fading away into the darkness. If you like wheated bourbons, you will enjoy this wheat whiskey. It has the sweetness that comes with the wheat in a nice clean package.

Amber color. The nose has notes of cinnamon apple pie, lemon zest, dark cherries, pipe tobacco, and buttered toast. The mouthfeel is fairly thin and hot. The palate has a lot of cereal notes - I'm thinking honey nut cheerios, golden grahams and mini wheats - with fainter notes of red apple peels, dark cherries and baked bread, along with some malt. The finish is long and hot, led by a lot of malt and charred cinnamon stick, with hints of sea salt, baked bread and citrus. The nose is the best part, and everything else is a let-down. Sipping neat it is quite hot but becomes more enjoyable with an ice cube.

Pleasant sipper neat. I didn’t pick up on a lot of flavor tones. It was pretty straightforward with a pretty short little burn at the end that quickly went away. With a little ice it turned sweet and buttery with a full, rich feel to it. I can see how people think of bitterscoth or honey and maple and then it leaves your mouth with that bit of numbness. Overall, I would say it doesn’t blow me away, but I definitely enjoy it and it has a stable place in my home bar.

Old Elk Straight Wheat Whiskey. 100 proof. 95% Red Winter Wheat/5% Barley. NAS but I'm told it's 5-6 year MGP from Greg Metze's mashbill. Sweet nose of light brown sugar, honey and almond butter. Silky palate w notes of almond, vanilla, coconut and light oak. Medium long sweet finish with light caramel and cocoa. Might be a tad sweet for some, but if you like Wheat Whiskey this is a good one! (And yes, that's a Single Barrel pick lurking in the background...stay tuned)

Great balance of sweet and spicy. Earthy nose, and the taste starts out both woody and sweet but then I'm picking up a wintery vanilla chai that settles into quite a bit of heat in the finish. Nice complexity but could be a bit smoother. Edit: I like this a little less on subsequent tastings. The finish is kind of bitter and grassy. I'm getting a licorice taste now too.