Old Elk Slow Cut Review: Smooth Sipper with a Unique Proofing Twist

BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: Old Elk Distillery
• MASH BILL: Undisclosed blend of straight bourbons including Old Elk's flagship, high-malt recipe (51% corn | 34% malted barley | 15% rye)
• AGE: No age stated, the flagship component is reportedly 4-7 years old
• YEAR: 2025
• PROOF: 88 proof
• MSRP: $40
• BUY ONLINE: Purchase at Old Elk

DREW'S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Old Elk bourbon lovers. Fans of smooth, easy drinking whiskeys. Hell, at this price, you can even waste it on your wine and vodka friends.

WORTH THE PRICE: See above. Slow Cut is an easy sipper with an impressive amount of flavor for the proof, but it is also priced well enough that you won't feel bad using it in a cocktail.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle. All day long. It would be easy to recommend on value alone, but it also has an interesting story behind it that you can share with friends and neighbors when they come over for a pour. And they probably will.

OVERALL: In case you haven't heard, Old Elk is phasing out its flagship high-malt bourbon. That news would be disappointing to fans of the Fort Collins, Colorado-based distillery if its replacement, Slow Cut, weren't so damn tasty. What's better is that it's even priced a little lower. Double win.

Slow Cut is a blend of the distillery's classic high-malt recipe and other unspecified bourbons in their inventory. But more than that, it highlights their signature proofing technique, the Slow Cut Proofing Process. With slow cutting, water is slowly added to the whiskey over a period of weeks instead of just a few days, which is more common in the industry. According to Old Elk, this helps preserve and enhance flavors produced during fermentation, distillation, and barrel aging. And the proof is definitely in the pudding, err, bourbon.

The nose is soft, as expected from a whiskey under 90 proof, but it's still layered and well-structured. And the flagship's malt profile hasn't gone anywhere. Notes of honey wheat bread and apple strudel are warm and just a little savory, complementing the dark brown sugar and vanilla custard notes that evolve with time in the glass. On the palate, things are once again unsurprisingly approachable, dangerously approachable even. In fact, this is one of the easiest drinking whiskeys I've encountered. What, at first, feels a little thin on the tongue quickly blooms across the sip with silky caramel sauce, toffee, and a little clove syrup. Undertones of candy apple and sugar cookie continue the evolution of flavor across the midpalate before fading gently into oak and peanut brittle. It's no flavor bomb, but it packs more than enough for a daily drinker or cocktail companion.

BRAND NOTES

At 88 proof our Slow Cut bourbon showcases our trademarked proofing technique. Slow Cut preserves flavor by lengthening the standard proofing process to up to 10x, Old Elk elevates the whiskey while controlling the proof. After waiting many years for our barrels to mature, we are unwilling to rush the process at the final step. Slow cutting ensures we bottle every last drop of flavor.

Nose: Sweet vanilla and caramel, clove spice, slight maple, and nutty almond.

Palate: Maple syrup, almond, raw bran, chocolate, deep wood and coconut.

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.