K&L Exclusive: Knockout Single-Barrel Bourbon
LAWS Whiskey House “Experiential Barrel” K&L Exclusive Barrel #1206 Cask-Strength
Single Barrel High Malt Straight Colorado Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($74.99)
“Another cracking barrel from our friends at LAWS Whiskey House…”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer
Our spirits buyers are on a never-ending marathon of tasting and sampling, all done to bring you the absolute best and most unique offerings on the market. So, when they single out certain new arrivals for special attention, you know there’s a good reason (many good reasons, actually). Colorado’s LAWS Whisky House has given us a number of thrilling discoveries the past few years, and you can add to the list our very first bourbon barrel from one of America’s most dynamic craft distillers. A unique, high-malt mashbill takes this whiskey beyond the standard 5-year profile, endowing it with a richness that suggests several more years of age. Nonetheless, it remains a quintessential craft bourbon with an expertly balanced oak influence that lifts the opulence of the palate with a spicy kick. David Othenin-Girard sums it up brilliantly when he writes, “This is a dang fun barrel of whiskey—it’s different enough to feel exciting without straying out of the flavor category that I want when I reach for bourbon.” If this barrel is any indication of what’s to come from LAWS, this exceptional distiller is going to see a lot more attention from bourbon collectors everywhere.
LAWS Whiskey House “Experiential Barrel” K&L Exclusive Barrel #1206 Cask-Strength Single Barrel High Malt Straight Colorado Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($74.99)
K&L Notes: This delicious and unusual bourbon from one of the excellent distillers in Denver, CO is not like any bourbon we’ve ever yet tried. LAWS Whiskey House is committed to exploring the possibilities that the American whiskey category offers producers and while they’re willing to experiment, they never lose sight of the fact that every product must be delicious, no matter how unusual it may be. This single barrel, which happens to be Kosher-certified, has an extremely high-malt mashbill—52% corn, 37% malt, and 11% wheat. Double-distilled on September 19th of 2016 and filled into ISC 53-gallon char 3 American white oak. Aged for 5 years and 8 months at the LAWS warehouse on the corner of S. Acoma and S. Cherokee St. It was dumped on June 6th of 2022. It may not be the oldest LAWS we’ve bottled, but it’s easily the best. Bottled at a cask-strength 125.3 proof without chillfiltration, the malt acts as the main flavor grain here, but this doesn’t taste like Scotch. Rich and sweet on the nose with hints of dark fruit and fresh roasted grain. The texture is very round and oily and offers more overt maltiness on the palate. This high-malt bourbon is one of the very few made in this way and proves that bringing something new to the bourbon table isn’t always a bad thing!
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: September 28, 2022
Another cracking barrel from our friends at LAWS Whiskey House in Denver, Colorado. One of the few pot-distilled bourbons we’re able to offer, this was distilled twice on LAWS’ hybrid pots. This is our first bourbon barrel from this distillery. Let’s have a taste! This nose offers a ton of rich, roasted barrel flavors coupled with some maple and treacle syrup. Behind that some baked orchard fruit and hints of clove and cinnamon. The rich maltiness of the spirit is nicely integrated into the wood flavors and doesn’t feel young or “crafty” at all. With some air, the wood has developed into some coffee and sweet herbal tones with hints of mint and dill. On the palate, it’s very rich and syrupy, offering the first glimpse of the rich malt coming through more overtly. That’s balanced nicely by a unique, tangy oak with bits of anise and earthy spice adding nuance. The heat isn’t apparent at first, but the spice builds on itself much like a high-rye bourbon would, albeit with a darker bass note. This is a dang fun barrel of whiskey—it’s different enough to feel exciting without straying out of the flavor category that I want when I reach for bourbon.
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