Colorado Whiskey

[cowdery]

I agree, especially as you go further east, away from the Acadians. I do like Nova Scotia, though, and recommend it to anyone who hasn't been.

[gr8erdane]

To revisit the passed blackberry flavored whiskey, I recently purchased one for a novelty. They also have a peach flavored whiskey. Here's my take on this novelty:

Name: Rocky Mountain Blackberry Flavored Whiskey

Produced and bottled by Leopold Bros. of Ann Arbor MI.

Description of the whiskey on the bottle (syopsis): They take late summer Rocky Mountain Blackberries and blend them with "their" small batch whiskey.This mix is placed in used bourbon barrels and allowed to mature. It says that the blackberry flavors are pushed to the background by the oak, vanilla and raisin finish of their whiskey (whatever they use).

The proof is 8m and my bottle was hand numbered 07-02 in 750ml with a price tag around 35 bucks.

My tasting experience:

The nose says blackberry cobbler, topped with blackberry syrup. First taste is pretty much the same. So much for being pushed to the background. After the initial blackberry cobbler comes the whiskey burn that is unique to this product in that it is somewhat masked by the strength of the blackberry taste. Finish is dry, and the nose from the still present glass wafts up and says "fruity delicious, taste me again to get rid of that nasty burn" and the second sip, much deeper is exactly the same as the first.

Not a bad product for when your sweet tooth and your whiskey yearning are at a standoff but I can't take it for anything more than a novelty. Now to see if I can find an unadulterated Leopold Bros Small Batch whiskey to compare it to.

As I said, they also had peach so it seems they want to keep with a cobbler theme here. Someday I might buy the Peach on a lark but I don't think the purchase will be unaided by one of it's alcohol natives already camping out in my system.

Further searching on the Internet shows that Leopold Bros is a brewpub that puts out some of its own spirits: Vodka, Gin, these two whiskey products and matching blackberry and peach liqueurs. They say the whiskey used is new make but no mention of what's in the mash.

http://www.leopoldbros.com/index.html

[jbaker]

Stranahan's finally made it to the Boston area. The store I work for (for the next 7 days) just picked it up and it shelves for $60. I'm going to follow everyone's advice and try to find it in a bar first and save my hard-earned money for something a little older.

I do appreciate the labeling though, each one has something different written in the "comments:" section of the label. This one says "Listening to Bad Luck City" while another says "Riding Elk Meadow." I can't say that I understand it, but I've never really tried to understand the wisdom of George Stranahan. No point in trying, really.

[sku]

Mine said "listening to Bjork."

[Sweetmeats]

I take a little tour of the operation last week. Very informal. No one around. Just me and Jake. Pretty decent guy. And it ended with a nice shot of whiskey. Couldn't beat that.

[ILLfarmboy]

After dismissing this, nearly out of hand, my interest was rekindled after watching the program "modern Marvels" on the History Channel. Has anyone, who hasn't already posted their impressions, tasted this?

[Stu]

After dismissing this, nearly out of hand, my interest was rekindled after watching the program "modern Marvels" on the History Channel. Has anyone, who hasn't already posted their impressions, tasted this?

Brad,

I don't think I've commented before. Remember I'm a malt lover, so my view may be skewed. I've only had one bottle sent to me by some friends in Colorado. It is definitely a malt whiskey, however I don't think it tastes at all like scotch malt (or Irish). I saw as much difference between this and Irish malt as there is between Tryconnell and Laphroaig. The Colorado malt is different and there is no smoking with peat. Aging in Colorado is far different than aging in Scotland (the difference between the mountains and the sea). I think it needed to be aged a few more years to bring out its best character. I consider it a fifth type of American whiskey (bourbon, Tennessee, rye, corn, and now Colorado). I personally think it is too expensive, but I may well ( and probably will) buy a bottle if it ever comes somewhere near me. Sorry, I don't write tasting notes every time I taste ( but I should). I recall that I thought there was as much difference in the malt flavor as there is between a rye and wheat bourbon. Also I thought it was way too young. Probably as they produce more they may be able to let some age longer. By contrast, I think Glen Breton tastes more like an Irish or lowland malt than an individual style of whiskey (even though they claim to use peated malt imported from the Highlands).

Stu

[cowdery]

I like it and, make note, because I haven't had too many good things to say about craft distillery products until this point. It is a malt whiskey but it won't remind you of scotch. It is aged in new charred oak barrels, but it won't remind you of bourbon. I think it tastes like anejo tequila, but maybe that's just me.

Is it worth $40 a bottle, for a 2- or 3-year-old whiskey? Well, it's the best of this new breed and unlike many experimental products, even from major distilleries, that you try once and say "that's interesting," Stranahan's is actually pleasant to drink and when I finish this bottle, I might actually desire another.

Most people I know who have tried it agree that it will benefit from additional age and I hope they have held some back for that purpose.

[ILLfarmboy]

Chuck, after reading your post I decided to see if I couldn't order this from an on-line retailer. I figured if Chuck liked it well enough to praise a micro-distillery, It's got to be worth drinking.:cool: As luck would have it I took my dog down to Peoria this past Monday. After our vet appointment I stopped at a large well stocked liquor store. Well, there behind the glass, where they keep the expensive stuff, were several bottles, one of which came home with me.

Its got a good flavor which reminds me of something between a rye (there is a dryish flash of spice/fruit up front) and malt whisky; a very clean unpeated malt. Good flavor, good but short finish. My only complaint, and it is a minor one, the very tail end of the finish is slightly acrid which prompts me to take another sip instead of enjoying the after-finish.

I don't have my bottle in front of me, but I recall its label said batch number 9. Distilled in 11 of '04

how does this compare with what the rest of you guys have?

[AVB]

I did a review of this a year ago here if you want to read it,

[ILLfarmboy]

I did a review of this a year ago here if you want to read it,

A nice review! "Apple butter" is right on.

[sysrick]

Haven't had a chance to try the Whiskey -- but do like the poster.