Old Elk Single Barrel Wheated Bourbon

L&K Phase 3. 58.5% apples in nose. Earthy, mineral rye laced in mild sweetness.

Cherry nose, caramel, sweet finish, little ethanol finish

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.

Wonderful all around from end to finish, have only had neat thus far but guessing would make a fantastic old fashioned!

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.