The Leopold Bros 8 year old cask strength bourbon is not only the oldest whiskey we’ve released in our history, it’s also the highest in proof. We fill all of our barrels at 50% ABV and, over the course of just a few years in our earthen-floor, dunnage-style warehouse, we don’t see much fluctuation in proof. However, after eight years of steady maturation, we begin to see greater evaporation of water, leading to an increase in alcohol percentage. At over 55% ABV, this cask strength bourbon has more punch and concentration than anything we’ve released previously.

While the 8 year old bourbon had plenty of heat, the extra alcohol initially overpowered some of the sweetness we were hoping to taste. That led Todd Leopold to ask, “What if we threw this back into used three chamber rye whiskey barrels for a few extra months?” That additional maturation proved to be exactly what the whiskey needed, adding flavors of sweet grains and graham crackers, along with an added oiliness from the residual whiskey left in those casks.

Those three chamber barrels previously held Leopold Bros Maryland style rye, an homage to a pre-Prohibition regional style of whiskey making that had been lost for over fifty years. Once immensely popular with Union soldiers stationed in Washington, DC during the Civil War, Maryland rye became known for its softer, fruit-forward character. After Prohibition, most Maryland distilleries were sold off or repurposed, and the last distillery from that era closed in 1972.

Thanks to a generous collector, Todd Leopold was able to taste and catalog bottles of authentic Maryland rye whiskey from more than sixty years ago. Using those notes as a guide, Leopold Bros Maryland style rye is made with a mash bill of 65% rye, 15% corn, and 20% floor-malted barley. A yeast strain chosen to emphasize fruit rather than spice is used, and the whiskey is pot distilled and aged for five years in Colorado dunnage warehouses, resulting in a spirit that is fruity and floral with a soft, buttery finish.

Coupled with the inherent notes of candied apricot and orange marmalade often found in Leopold Bros whiskies, the added concentration and layered flavors of the 8 year old bourbon are truly remarkable. We hope you enjoy it.

Leopold Brothers 8 Year Cask Strength Bourbon Notes To Your Senses:

• APPEARANCE: Rich, golden amber
• AROMA: Rich aromas of deep caramel, toasted oak, and warm baking spices, layered with honeyed vanilla and hints of candied apricot and orange zest
• TASTE: Flavors of brown sugar and toffee balanced by toasted grain, sweet graham cracker, and mature oak, with a lively backbone of spice and dark fruit that keeps the profile vibrant despite its high proof
• FINISH: Lingering oak, caramel, and gentle peppery warmth mingle with sweet fruit
• ABV: 55%