Candy corn | Caramel | Strawberry bubblegum | Butterscotch

Butterscotch | Vanilla | Plum | Cherry | Sweet aged oak

Aged oak | Black pepper | Nutmeg | Lingering stone fruit & leather

Bluegrass Distillers, located in Lexington, Kentucky, launched their Elkwood Reserve line to honor the historic Elkwood Farm Distillery in Midway, Kentucky. This collection of releases typically features a high age statement, with this 15 year old single barrel being the highest one yet. There have been a few 15 year old bourbons released in 2024, and while Bluegrass Distillers doesn’t disclose the exact origin for their release, it is from Kentucky and bottled at barrel proof.

High aged bourbon doesn't come cheap, which shouldn’t surprise anyone at this point. Though there have been more companies releasing double digit aged bourbons over the past few years, it's still a treat anytime you come across one in the 13-16 year old range. With Elkwood Reserve 15 Year, oak doesn’t overly dominate its flavor profile and instead adds so much to it. Its aged oak component doesn’t feature a pronounced musty note that can turn some bourbon drinkers off from higher aged bourbons. Instead, it’s much more gentle and nicely grounds the bourbon as its other flavors play off of it. Elkwood Reserve features a degree of heat, but it's a much more subtle sip than you’d expect it to be for the proof. No one element sticks out, and instead, it is nicely balanced and an enjoyable sipper overall. Though its price is high and bottle count low (133 bottles to be exact), the sip it delivers is immensely satisfying.

The bottle in review is number 5 of 133.