The holidays are coming up… Quick. If you are like me, you have friends and family bombarding you with the question “What do you want for Christmas”. That one little question is so very frustrating for me. Why? Because I am one tough Christmas cookie to shop for. Sure, an amazon list is an easy fix. But sometimes you just want something that doesn’t get dropped off from the Fedex Santa. Being that I dabble in small batch whiskey and bourbon, those are always a great gift to give. If you have someone that is a fan of whiskey and bourbon, you can always give the gift of barrel aged spirits. Colorado has a booming scene of distilleries with some unique and quite tasty drinks. Here are my top 5 suggestions for a Colorado whiskey or bourbon to give for the holidays. The bottles will run you anywhere from $40 all the way up to $100.

Matt Sparx
Matt Sparx
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State 38 – Golden, Colorado
This is one of my new favorites as of this year. I went into the tasting room a couple of months ago, took the tour, had a couple tasters and fell in love with their bourbon. The bourbon dubbed DC Loveday has been one of my go to bottles when friends come over and they all comment how flavorful and smooth the bourbon is.

Matt Sparx
Matt Sparx
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Tower 56 – Greeley, Colorado
Tower 56 located in downtown Greeley has some great bourbon as well. So good, I ended up purchasing two bottles of bourbon on Black Friday. You can find Tower 56 in some liquor stores across Northern Colorado, but I urge you to go into the tasting room to purchase your bottle and enjoy a drink. Out of the many Old Fashioned drinks that I have had over the years, Tower 56 instantly sits in the top two for my all-time best Old Fashioned. Have one of their many variations of the Old Fashioned and you will see exactly why Tower 56 bourbon is a must give gift.

Matt Sparx
Matt Sparx
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A.D. Laws – Denver, Colorado
You have many options to choose from when it comes to A.D. Laws. In fact, they have 7 “always available” different bourbons and whiskey. Six of the seven variations are aged over 3 years in charred white oak barrels. I have had the honor of trying a few different bourbons from A.D. Laws and I have liked them all very much. The current bottle I own is their Cask Strength Four Grain Straight Bourbon.

Matt Sparx
Matt Sparx
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Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey – Denver, Colorado
This is the one that started it all for me. Located off of Interstate 25 and Alameda in Denver, the one and only Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey. There are four variations of their single malt whiskey readily available and the ever popular “Snowflake” that comes out only once a year. I have had many bottles of the original over the years and they vary in taste from batch to batch. I have also added to my personal collection the Diamond Peak and Single barrel.

Matt Sparx
Matt Sparx
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Mystic Mountain's Outlaw Legend - Larkspur, Colorado  
This is a once a year, special release. I was fortunate enough to have a glass of this bourbon early this year. It is absolutely delicious! Outlaw Legend is aged in oak barrels for 3 years and then it is aged some more in custom staves. This would be an excellent gift for that bourbon lover in your life!

 

BONUS BOTTLE:

Credit: Distillery 291
Credit: Distillery 291
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291 Colorado Whiskey – Colorado Springs, Colorado
291 Distillery has 10 different variations of bourbon and whiskey to choose from. Those 10 variations also have some serious accolades that come along with them. Both the Barrel Proof Colorado Whiskey and the Single Barrel Colorado Rye Whiskey hold 10 awards each. I have only had a taster of the single barrel and it was excellent. 291 Distillery variations are going to be on the high end when it comes to spending.

 

As a fan of whiskey and bourbon made here in Colorado, these are my suggestions based on my tastes and personal experiences. I own at least one bottle of all of these bourbons and whiskey, except one. The one that I do not own is a bottle from 291 Distillery… yet. Who knows, maybe Santa will slide down my chimney and put a bottle in my stocking for Christmas this year. It’s certainly on my list of Christmas wishes!

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