(NOVEMBER 25 WHISKEY CLUB) LEOPOLD 8 YEAR RYE FINISHED BOURBON H.S. PRIVATE BARREL 750ML BOTTLE

Leopold Bros Distillery—initially established in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1999 before relocating to Denver, Colorado, in 2014—is one of those real-deal distilleries. They do everything old-school, by hand, analogue. They use heirloom grains grown by local farmers. They malt the grains themselves. They age their spirits in a traditional dunnage style warehouse—smaller, shorter, earth floors, no climate control, natural ventilation via skylights and windows.

As for November’s Whiskey Club bottle, it’s a bourbon made from 65% corn, 15% rye, and 20% malted barley. It was fermented for 120 hours—five full days—an uncommonly long fermentation time. It was then barreled at a very low entry proof of 100. Most mainstream distilleries use entry proofs of 115 to 125. But lower entry proofs mean good things for flavor, since the final product need not be diluted as much to get it down to bottling proof.

COLOR – a beautiful autumn amber-orange

NOSE – both soft and punchy at once, with lovely floral aromas like lavender and heather, then a gentle wave of vanilla and caramel; spices like black pepper, oak, ginger, and something earthy like moss on tree bark; eventually a subtle apricot marmalade note rolls in

PALATE – everything promised by the nose is delivered here, wrapped in a creamy texture and served up flambé

FINISH – the heat cools to a nice warmth, leaving the floral and spice notes to linger most, underscored by subtler caramel and fruit

OVERALL – like a long slow breath of fresh morning mountain air