Reserve By Old Elk Distillery Tasting Room Old Town Review

I have known that the Reserve Old Elk Distillery tasting room has been around for a bit, I've just never had the time to get there and see it for myself. There wasn't a set plan to swing by there this weekend. It's simply where we ended up as we were passing through.

The tasting room, located at 253 Linden Street has a rustic feel that only a place in Colorado can provide. The north wall is encrusted with barrel heads that sit above the tufted benches. Another rustic wall features the distilling process that Old Elk uses to make their spirits.

Numerous seating options are available at the Reserve. Some cozy, with a feeling of privacy. Others, wide open and better suited for a gathering of people. We opted to sit at the bar to gain the full experience. The bar itself is impressive with the backdrop of a copper still and backlit bottles of gin and various types of whiskeys and bourbons soar to the ceiling. On to the drinks.

Anyone who has followed my articles about my drink of choice will know that the Old Fashioned is where it is at for me. Being at Old Elk, there is no deviation from the drink of choice. Old Elk offered three different variations on their take of an Old Fashioned. The classic, Honey Smoked, and a seasonal. You can upgrade your bourbon drinks from the tier I bourbon to tier II or tier III depending on what fits your fancy with your bourbon tastes.

My wife chose to try the Honey Smoked Old Fashioned with tier I Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey. She enjoyed the drink. She did make mention that it might have been a tad too sweet. That is probably in part that the bourbon has a sweeter profile than a rye whiskey would.

I did the classic Old Fashioned with the tier II rye whiskey. The upgrade on the whiskey was an additional $1 and well worth it. The flavors of the rye, bitters, and orange melded well together. I can easily say that this has been my favorite Old Fashioned in Fort Collins.

If you like bourbon, I would recommend checking out the Reserve by Old Elk Distillery. Great atmosphere, great drinks, and their flatbread BBQ pizza with bourbon barbeque sauce, caramelized onions, bacon, and blue cheese is an amazing compliment to any drink as well.