Laws Whiskey House is releasing a new batch of their pioneering Bonded Centennial Straight Wheat Whiskey this month.
The Denver distillery was the first on the market with a straight wheat whiskey—in their case, the mash bill of 100 percent wheat is also 100 percent grown in Colorado.
Laws has honed in on the “unique terroir” of the grain, which is grown in the “San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado by Jason Cody, of the Cody Family Farm and Colorado Malting Company.”
According to the distillery, this particular heirloom varietal of Spring wheat “produces a soft and floral whiskey with a bright clean finish boasting notes of jasmine tea, sage, and pink peppercorns.”
The Bonded whiskey is 5 years and 8 months old, and the distillery’s provided tasting notes call out “aromas of mountain strawberries and orange marmalade… the spirit finishes dry with a slightly bitter, candied orange palate with a crisp linen on the mouthfeel.”
Wheat in whiskey isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, but wheat-dominant mash bills are quite rare across the whiskey making world. And 100 percent wheat is a whole other level of rare. Wheat adds a particulat softness to the texture of whiskey (as fans of Maker’s Mark and Weller will note). It has also been argued by other distilleries that wheated bourbon age better than rye bourbons, but we’re not wading into that pool.
What everyone can agree is that a unique whiskey like this would be fascinating to try with a few more years on it. It’s unclear whether this mash bill will yield something incredible at 20-plus years of age, but even the earlier samples at just over two years of age were refined and complex.
Laws releases are some of the more interesting experiments and expressions in the terroir and barrel finishing arenas right now. The brand is a recognized innovator as well—they won several awards at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition this year, including a double gold medal for Laws’ Bottled in Bond San Luis Valley Rye (the Four Grain Bourbon also received a gold medal).
Wheat whiskeys are a little different, but we expect this one to be quite tasty. If you do too, suggested retail is around $75, and they’ll be hitting shelves this month.