Old Elk 10 Year Old Wheated Bourbon Whiskey

Old Elk 10 Year Old Wheated Bourbon Whiskey – 10 Year Old Colorado Wheated Straight Bourbon | Old Elk Distillery, Fort Collins, Colorado

Old Elk 10 Year Old Wheated Bourbon Whiskey is the purest and most definitive expression of Old Elk Distillery’s signature wheated bourbon philosophy — a 10 year old Colorado straight bourbon that wears its wheated mash bill designation as an explicit declaration of intent, inviting those who know and love the softer, sweeter, and more elegantly approachable style of America’s great wheated bourbon tradition to experience it at its most fully realized and genuinely extraordinary expression. While Old Elk’s core straight bourbon expressions share the distillery’s high-wheat character, the 10 Year Old Wheated Bourbon is the specific expression built for those who seek out wheated bourbon as a deliberate and informed preference — the bourbon lover who reaches for Maker’s Mark over Wild Turkey, Pappy Van Winkle over Buffalo Trace, and who understands that the choice of wheat over rye as the secondary grain is one of the most fundamental and consequential decisions a distiller can make.

Founded in Fort Collins, Colorado with the legendary guidance of master distiller Greg Metze — whose nearly four decades at MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana produced some of the most celebrated and sought-after American whiskeys of the modern era — Old Elk has built its reputation on an unwavering commitment to three things: genuinely aged whiskey, the wheated bourbon style done without compromise, and the proprietary Slow Cut™ proofing process that reduces the spirit’s proof more slowly than industry standard to preserve the flavor integrity developed over a decade in barrel. The result is a wheated bourbon of exceptional smoothness, genuine depth, and the kind of elevated, integrated complexity that ten years in Colorado oak exclusively deliver.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Beautifully soft and deeply inviting with vanilla cream, dark caramel, toasted American oak, warm baking spice, dried orchard fruit, honey, and the distinctly gentle, rounded wheat grain sweetness that defines the great wheated bourbon style at its finest — a smooth, elegant, and genuinely captivating aromatic profile that could only come from a decade of patient Colorado maturation
• Palate: Luxuriously smooth, medium to full-bodied, and elegantly layered with vanilla cream, dark caramel, toasted oak, warm baking spice, dried orchard fruit, and the soft, rounded, and naturally sweet complexity that Old Elk’s high-wheat mash bill and Slow Cut™ proofing uniquely deliver over ten years — the wheated bourbon style at its most fully developed and genuinely extraordinary
• Finish: Long, smooth, and beautifully warm with lingering vanilla, dark caramel, toasted oak, and a gently sweet wheat warmth that is the unmistakable signature of a truly exceptional decade-aged wheated bourbon of the highest quality

Key Highlights

• ✔ Explicitly wheated bourbon — the deliberate choice — labeled as Wheated Bourbon to speak directly to enthusiasts who seek out the softer, sweeter, and more approachable wheated style as a genuine and informed preference
• ✔ 10 Year Old — decade of Colorado maturation — ten full years in new charred American white oak barrels through Colorado’s dramatic seasonal temperature cycles, developing the extraordinary depth and integration that only genuine decade-long aging delivers
• ✔ Slow Cut™ proofing process — Old Elk’s proprietary incremental proofing method preserves every flavor compound developed over ten years in barrel, producing a measurably smoother and more fully integrated final spirit
• ✔ Greg Metze — legendary master distiller — built with the expertise of one of American whiskey’s most celebrated figures, whose four decades at MGP produced some of the most sought-after wheated and standard bourbons in the modern era
• ✔ The wheated bourbon lover’s Colorado expression — the natural choice for enthusiasts of Maker’s Mark, W.L. Weller, and the Van Winkle family who want to discover what Colorado craft ambition does with the wheated bourbon style over a full decade
• ✔ 750mL bottle — a defining acquisition for wheated bourbon enthusiasts, Colorado craft whiskey collectors, and anyone who wants the softest, smoothest, and most elegantly developed expression in Old Elk’s 10 year old lineup
• ✔ Available at Del Mesa Liquor with nationwide shipping

How to Enjoy

Old Elk 10 Year Old Wheated Bourbon Whiskey is best enjoyed neat at room temperature in a quality Glencairn or tulip glass — the wheated bourbon’s natural softness and vanilla-forward sweetness shine most brilliantly without ice or dilution, and a decade of barrel aging has given this expression the kind of beautifully integrated complexity that rewards the most attentive and unhurried appreciation. Allow it to breathe for 5–10 minutes before nosing — the vanilla cream, dark caramel, and toasted oak character will open beautifully. A single drop of still water may reveal additional layers of orchard fruit and honey. For cocktails, the Wheated 10 Year Old’s exceptional smoothness and natural sweetness make it outstanding in dessert-adjacent and fruit-forward serves — try a Wheated Old Fashioned (Old Elk Wheated 10 Year Old, Demerara syrup, orange bitters, orange peel) for a sweeter, softer take on the classic, or a Wheated Whiskey Sour (Old Elk Wheated 10 Year Old, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white) where the natural wheat sweetness balances the citrus beautifully. For food pairings, Old Elk 10 Year Old Wheated Bourbon pairs beautifully with vanilla cheesecake and crème brûlée, bread pudding and butter pecan desserts, mild and creamy cheeses, caramel and toffee confections, and premium milk chocolate.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the difference between Old Elk 10 Year Old Straight Bourbon and Old Elk 10 Year Old Wheated Bourbon?

Both expressions share Old Elk Distillery’s Fort Collins home, Greg Metze’s master distilling expertise, a full decade of Colorado barrel aging, and the proprietary Slow Cut™ proofing process — but they are distinct expressions that offer different flavor profiles and speak to different preferences within the bourbon enthusiast community. The 10 Year Old Straight Bourbon is Old Elk’s core aged expression — a decade-aged Colorado straight bourbon of exceptional quality and complexity. The 10 Year Old Wheated Bourbon explicitly designates and celebrates the wheated mash bill as the defining characteristic of the expression, making it the specific choice for enthusiasts who actively seek out the softer, sweeter, and more approachable wheated bourbon style. In practice, the Wheated Bourbon will express greater vanilla cream sweetness, softer grain character, and more natural roundness, while carrying the same extraordinary depth and oak integration that ten Colorado years deliver to both expressions.

Why do wheated bourbon lovers tend to be so loyal to the style?

Wheated bourbon enthusiasts are among the most devoted and genuinely passionate communities in the American whiskey world — and for very good reason. The wheated bourbon style — exemplified by the legendary Pappy Van Winkle family, W.L. Weller, and Maker’s Mark — delivers a naturally softer, sweeter, and more approachable bourbon character that many enthusiasts find more elegant, more nuanced, and more genuinely satisfying for extended sipping than the bolder, spicier high-rye style. The wheat grain’s natural sweetness and softness creates a more refined canvas for oak aging to paint on — one where vanilla, caramel, and toasted oak complexity can develop and integrate without competition from rye’s assertive spice. For many bourbon lovers, the discovery of the wheated style is a genuine revelation — the moment when they realize that their preference for smoothness and elegance over boldness and heat has a name, a tradition, and an extraordinary collection of expressions to explore. Old Elk 10 Year Old Wheated Bourbon is one of the finest and most genuinely rewarding additions to that exploration.

Where can I buy Old Elk 10 Year Old Wheated Bourbon Whiskey?

You can purchase it online through Del Mesa Liquor with nationwide shipping available.