Old Elk’s most unconventional 10-year release delivers a wildly distinctive nose, creamy palate and complex fruit-and-spice finish.
Stats
- Type: Wheat Whiskey
- Age: 10 year
- Proof: 103 (51.5% ABV)
- Mashbill: 96% Soft Red Winter Wheat │ 4% Malted Barley
- Origin: Ross & Squibb (MGP) — Lawrenceburg, Indiana
- Additional Aging: Fort Collins, Colorado & Columbus, Ohio
- Cask: New Charred American Oak
- Release: Wide release, blended
- MSRP: $69.99 (via Old Elk)
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Watermelon sour gummies, vanilla cream and apple pie create an immediately unusual combination. It’s easily the most distinctive nose of the three whiskies.
- Palate: Extremely creamy and rich, with plenty of charred oak and Boston cream. The texture is excellent, although the palate doesn’t quite deliver the same complexity as the nose.
- Finish: Peppery spice builds toward a hint of patchouli before quickly fading into a low burn. What’s left behind is a long, layered linger of strawberry jam, watermelon candy, molasses, barrel candy and chocolate.
If the Straight Bourbon is the classic and the Wheated Bourbon is the crowd pleaser, the Wheat Whiskey is the wildcard.
Made from an unusual 96% soft red winter wheat and 4% malted barley, this 103-proof whiskey is easily the most distinctive of Old Elk’s three new 10-year offerings. It isn’t perfect, the flavors can occasionally feel disjointed, but when everything comes together, it delivers the most interesting drinking experience of the collection.
And of the three, this is my favorite.
Presentation
Old Elk continues to have one of the more recognizable bottle designs in American whiskey.
The premium metallic label is immediately identifiable, but the real standout is the wooden topper, which remains unlike almost anything else on the market.
The closest comparison I’ve seen is Hard Truth’s topper, although that leans much more toward a driftwood aesthetic.
Distinctiveness
This is where the Wheat Whiskey separates itself.
The Straight Bourbon has its grapefruit and malted barley character, and the Wheated Bourbon is deliberately approachable, but the Wheat Whiskey is doing something genuinely different. Watermelon candy, vanilla cream, apple pie, strawberry jam and peppery spice aren’t the notes I typically expect from whiskey, let alone a 10-year MGP-derived whiskey.
The profile isn’t perfectly cohesive all the way through, but I’d much rather drink something occasionally disjointed and interesting than something completely polished and forgettable.
“…this is the one I kept wanting to revisit…”
Transparency
Old Elk is refreshingly straightforward about what these whiskies are. The collection uses MGP whiskey distilled specifically for Old Elk, with Old Elk’s founder involved in designing the special mashbills.
There’s no mystery around the source or the relationship. For me, that’s exactly what good transparency looks like: tell consumers what they’re drinking and let the whiskey speak for itself.
Value
At 103 proof, 10 years old and $69.99, the Wheat Whiskey is an impressive value even before you taste it.
Once you do, the value becomes even more compelling. You’re getting something that doesn’t simply rely on an age statement to justify the price; you’re getting a whiskey with a genuinely unusual flavor profile that offers something different from the standard bourbon shelf.
Buy if:
- You want the most distinctive bottle of the three
- You enjoy fruit-forward whiskey
- Creamy mouthfeel matters to you
- You want to explore wheat whiskey beyond bourbon
Skip if:
- You prefer highly traditional bourbon profiles
- Unusual fruit notes aren’t your thing
- You want a perfectly cohesive flavor progression
- You’re looking for the most approachable whiskey of the collection
Verdict
The Old Elk 10-Year Wheat Whiskey is the bottle that surprised me most. The nose is wildly distinctive, the palate is wonderfully creamy, and the finish brings together spice, sweetness and fruit in a way that I found genuinely compelling.
It isn’t flawless. Some of the flavors feel a little disjointed, and the palate doesn’t quite match the complexity of the nose and finish. But that’s a tradeoff I’m happy to make when the result is this interesting. Of the three, this is the one I kept wanting to revisit and ultimately my favorite.
Bourbon Bishop Bottom Line:
Old Elk’s most unconventional 10-year release is also its most interesting, combining watermelon candy, creamy sweetness and a surprisingly complex fruit-and-spice finish.
For those who prefer numbers, here’s the full score breakdown:
- Nose: 5.7 / 7
- Palate: 5.3 / 7
- Finish: 5.75 / 7
- Presentation: 5 / 7
- Distinctiveness: 6 / 7
- Transparency: 7 / 7
- Value: 6 / 7
Bourbon Bishop Rating: 5.72 / 7 – Divine
Top-shelf. Must-buy for fans of the style.
| Score | Descriptor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 | Hell No | Drain pour. Seriously undrinkable. |
| 1.1–2 | Purgatory | Bad, but could be worse. Only in extreme cases. |
| 2.1–3 | Only Earthly | Just okay. Best used as a mixer. |
| 3.1–4 | Bliss | Passable to Good sipper. Works well in cocktails. |
| 4.1–5 | Angelic | Good to great. Often high value for the price. |
| 5.1–6 | Divine | Top-shelf. Must-buy for fans of the style. |
| 6.1–7 | Holy Heaven | Out-of-this-world. A true unicorn. |
Disclosure: This bottle was provided to me free of charge for review. All opinions are my own.
About Old Elk
Founded in Fort Collins, Colorado, Old Elk built its reputation around unconventional mash bills, long-aged whiskey and a willingness to do things differently. A major part of that identity comes from master distiller Greg Metze, who spent nearly four decades in the whiskey industry, including his time at Seagram’s/LDI/MGP. Old Elk originally worked with Metze to develop custom mash bills rather than simply selecting whiskey from an existing catalog, helping create the brand’s distinctive high-malt bourbon, wheated bourbon and wheat whiskey profiles.
Old Elk is also known for its Slow Cut™ proofing process, in which water is added gradually over weeks rather than rapidly over a day or two. The brand says this slower process helps limit the heat generated during proofing and preserve more delicate flavors developed through fermentation, distillation and maturation. In 2025, Middle West Spirits acquired Old Elk Distillery, beginning a new chapter for the brand while retaining its existing aged whiskey inventory and distinctive recipes
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