Old Elk Liquor Master Pick Bourbon Whiskey

Old Elk Liquor Master Pick Bourbon Whiskey is a single-barrel selection of the Fort Collins high-malt bourbon — 51% corn, 34% malted barley, 15% rye — laid down to Greg Metze's recipe and bottled from one cask for a retailer barrel program. Extra malted barley is what makes this mash read sweeter and rounder. Keep it for a weeknight pour.

High-malt barrels like this lean toward vanilla, caramel, and a biscuit-malt sweetness, with clove and nutty almond standing out on the palate. Maple and oak hold the sip together. The mouthfeel is typically coating; the finish stays warm and grain-sweet.