145: A Whiskey Adventure to the Mountains of Colorado with Boulder Spirits

We are joined by Alastair Brogan, Founder and Owner, and Ryan Negley, Lead Ambassador and Whiskey Fellow for Boulder Spirits by Vapor Distillery. We learn about the Scottish influence that Alastair brought to Colorado and American Single Malt while still finding a unique niche in the American Whiskey Category, including their high-malt bourbons. Boulder Spirits features the largest pot still in the state of Colorado which adds an impressive layer of complexity to their whiskies as does their usage of new charred oak casks for their American Single Malts.  We had the opportunity to taste through several of their high-malt bourbons and American Single Malts and a few of their forthcoming 5 year old releases.  

Be sure to check out the new Adventure Kits by Boulder Spirits to get an amazing selection of high-malt bourbons and American Single Malts. This is the best way we’ve seen to experience all that a brand has to offer; each kit features 6 different whiskies.  Each kit will provide you with a link to a thorough, half hour long guided tasting with Alastair and Ryan.  You are sure to find several whiskies to add to your bar.  You can learn more here: https://boulder-spirits.com/products-adventure-kit. 

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Cheers,
Scott, Jake, & Michael
Bourbon Lens

 

The Mission of Boulder Spirits:

Barley, yeast, water, oak, and the pursuit of happiness. These make up the foundation of what we here at Boulder Spirits stand on. We’re a small Colorado whiskey company with big dreams, bigger goals, and the biggest pot still in the state. We’re here to make our best versions of American Single Malt Whiskeys, Bourbons, and Gins that our team can. We hope you can find us in your future, whether by visiting the distillery for a tour and tasting, or seeing our products at your favorite spirits retailers and finer whiskey serving establishments.

About The Chieftain:

Alastair Brogan has had a few lives: a Royal Air Force veteran, Vice President of the family business, ‘voted off’ reality TV star (internet it!), world traveler, and now owner/operator of Boulder Spirits by Vapor Distillery. While Alastair certainly could have stuck to the long, brittle winters of Scotland to pursue his lifelong dream and make whiskey at home, his sense of adventure and intrigue for innovation made not only the United States, but, most accordingly, Colorado the perfect place to settle. Upon commissioning a 1,000 gallon copper pot still from the famed Forsyths (one of the oldest still makers in the world), he packed up the caravan with the family at his side and found a home in Boulder, Colorado. This is a place that breeds adventure and innovation.

The Movement:

Unbeknownst to Alastair during his pursuit of whiskey, an entire movement was abrew. Since the day we filled our first freshly charred, virgin American Oak barrel with malt whiskey to the day that we filled our first bottle, the American Single Malt Whiskey category was born. Around the country, as well as the world, the taste for American Whiskey has grown. The thirst for Bourbon stays strong, but this country is great at many things, and innovation is absolutely one of our greatest. This innovative mindset shared by distillers in every corner of this country has created an entirely new set of flavors to explore; these flavors all begin with one common source: 100% malted barley. Currently, there are over 130 distilleries that have ventured into the American Single Malt Whiskey realm, each with as different of an approach to creating whiskey from each other as the next. Single malt whisky is made in many, many countries around the world, but only the United States utilizes the virgin American Oak as a standard. We believe that is the truest defining characteristic of American whiskey.

We take traditions from Al’s homeland, along with American ingenuity to find a balance that creates award winning whiskeys: distillers malted barley, a Scottish pot still, #3 char American White Oak barrels, aged in an arid, high elevation climate, and cut with the celebrated Eldorado Springs water. This is our American Single Malt.

Links:

• Boulder Spirits Official Website 
• Boulder Spirits Adventure Kit - Youtube Teaser
• Learn more about their new Adventure Kit which feature a full guided tasting with Alastair and Ryan.