The Colorado Springs sesquicentennial has been a good year for whiskey lovers. The Springs official 150th birthday has passed, but the celebratory whiskey is still flowing, thanks to the final two limited-edition whiskey releases from Distillery 291. In collaboration with various downtown businesses, Distillery 291 has released the 291 Small Batch Colorado Bourbon Whiskey and 291 Small Batch Colorado Rye Whiskey to commemorate the city’s sesquicentennial.
Each bottle comes from micro-batches of only three barrels, compared with 291’s standard batches of 20 barrels each. And each batch dons a commemorative Downtown 150th Select Label to honor the city’s storied past and celebrate the future. It’s a fitting pairing, since the Distillery 291 philosophy “embodies the traditions of the past married with the boldness of the future,” according to Gregor Huesgen, owner of Downtown Fine Spirits & Wines. (Read about Distillery 291’s backstory in Distillery 291: The Art of Whiskey.)
Huesgen, members of his staff, Cooper Davidson of Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub and Restaurant and the 291 team hand-picked the two limited-edition releases.
“These two selections were the unanimous choice after sampling from six barrels, and we’re excited to share them with the community in celebration of the city’s 150th anniversary,” Huesgen says.
The 291 Small Batch Colorado Bourbon Whiskey is 100 proof and features notes of vanilla, cherry and spice. It is distilled in a copper pot still, aged in American white oak deep char barrels and finished with toasted aspen staves.
The 291 Small Batch Colorado Rye Whiskey is 101.7 proof. Its mash bill is similar to 291 founder Michael Myers’ all-time favorite rye whiskeys, thanks to the help of deep charred American white oak barrels and toasted aspen staves to finish.
The small-batch distillery will produce only 185 bottles of the 291 Small Batch Colorado Bourbon Whiskey and 173 bottles of the 291 Small Batch Colorado Rye Whiskey. With those production caps, you can’t pick up a bottle at just any liquor store. Both limited edition releases are available by the bottle only at Downtown Fine Spirits & Wines. Or you can sample them at one of the participating downtown restaurants and bars.
Of course, these aren’t the only Sesquicentennial whiskeys in town. Read about Axe and the Oak’s First Stake Bourbon in Interview: Sipping Sesquicentennial Bourbon with Casey Ross. Then get your hands on all these spirits for a taste test!
Where to Sample 291 Limited Edition 150th Whiskey
Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
Read More
Distillery 291: The Art of Whiskey
Interview: Sipping Sesquicentennial Bourbon With Casey Ross
