Old Elk

Old Elk Whiskey was founded in Fort Collins, Colorado by master distiller Greg Metze (formerly of MGP), known for the proprietary Slow Cut™ proofing process — gradually reducing proof over several weeks to preserve complex flavor and aroma. The lineup includes Straight Bourbon, Wheated Bourbon, Rye, Double Wheat, and the Infinity Blend.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Slow Cut™ proofing process and does it actually make a difference?

Standard bourbon proofing adds distilled water to the barrel-strength spirit in one or two additions to reach target proof. The water addition causes an abrupt change in the spirit’s chemical environment, which can shock volatile aromatic compounds and cause some flavor elements to mute or flatten in the immediately bottled product. The Slow Cut™ process reduces proof gradually in increments over several weeks, allowing the spirit’s flavor compounds to slowly adjust and integrate with the new water content rather than being shocked into suppression. The technique has precedent in Scotch whisky production, where some producers proof down slowly for the same reason. At Old Elk’s bottle proof (88–95 proof depending on expression), the difference is perceptible to trained palates as greater aromatic openness and continuity of flavor from nose to finish.

What is Greg Metze’s background and why does it matter for Old Elk?

Greg Metze was master distiller at MGP Ingredients in Lawrenceburg, Indiana for over 35 years — one of the most important people in American whiskey for the past three decades, though his name was largely unknown to consumers because MGP’s business was producing whiskey for other brands rather than releasing it under its own label. MGP supplied the base distillate for hundreds of American whiskey brands including many that consumers assumed were independently distilled. Metze’s departure to found Old Elk as his own label gave him public credit for the first time for a body of expertise that shaped the American whiskey category. Old Elk is his vision of what a distillery making whiskey for its own label rather than others can achieve.