LEOPOLD BROS 5 YEARS OLD BOTTLED IN BOND STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY

A truly unique whiskey from Colorado’s Leopold Bros., this undergoes an open fermentation in wooden tanks with both house-cultured and indigenous yeast strains. It is then traditionally pot-distilled and aged five years in new American white oak charred barrels on earthen floors in the distillery’s unheated dunnage-style bonded warehouse. Aside from that refreshingly traditional production, the whiskey is also notable for it’s very unique mashbill: 64% corn, 21% malted barley (malted on their own malting floor at the distillery), and 15% Abruzzi heritage rye, all Colorado grown.

Generally, malted barley is used in American whiskey simply as a kickstarter for fermentation, but Leopold Brothers have leaned into the lush, roasted, chocolatey, and textured qualities of the grain to really drive the flavor profile of the bourbon, with rye adding some additional spice, but not playing the usual role as the flavor grain. The barley influence is apparent right from the get-go with a nose full of roasted malt, cocoa, straw, fresh-baked bread, soft fruits, and a hint of rye spice. The palate follows with a full-body, creamy mouthfeel, and notes of cinnamon, toffee, pear, cola, and cracked black pepper. The finish is soft and silky, lingering on dark baking chocolate, roasted malt, and cherries. Bottled unfiltered at 50% abv.