Review: Boulder Cask Strength Bourbon and Trail Magic Leave No Trail Single Malt (2024)
Colorado has quickly become one of the premiere states for American whiskey. At the forefront of high-elevation whiskey is Boulder Spirits, which finds its home at Vapor Distillery in, of course, Boulder. While Colorado produces a variety of American whiskey styles, The Centennial State has largely staked its reputation on whiskey revolving around malted barley. Following in that tradition, Boulder Spirits distills American single malt whiskey and bourbon with an atypically high amount of malted barley in the mashbill. The malt utilized by Boulder is a blend of Cara Ruby, Vienna, and pale with 2-row Genie from Limagrain Cereal Seeds being the specific variety of barley — intriguing for those most interested in malt whiskey, Boulder operates a Forsyth pot still in lieu of a column or hybrid still. The whiskey comes off the pot still at 145 proof and enters the barrel around 120 proof. All whiskeys coming out of Boulder are the result of a 56 hour fermentation.
We recently received two new expressions to evaluate. Thoughts follow.
Boulder Spirits Trail Magic: Leave No Trace American Single Malt Whiskey (2024) – The newest release in the Trail Magic series is comprised of single malt ranging from 4.5 years to 7.5 years of maturation. The blend consists of: straight malt matured for 6 years, sherry cask finished malt matured for 7 years, secondary-aged Ten Essentials ranging from 5.5-7.5 years of aging, straight peated malt ranging from 4.5-6.5 years of maturation, and Root Shoot roasted malt matured for 4.5 years. While the total ratio is not disclosed, the Root Shoot roasted malt portion makes up 10% of the total blend.
Leave No Trace certainly leaves more than a trace of pleasant aromas as black cherry and rich caramel waft from the Glencairn. Juicy pear is the next to rise from the glass, followed by a pleasing smoke and old book leather. The peat component is present, but extremely balanced and far from overwhelming. The palate kicks off with a familiar black cherry and English toffee note. As expected with peat, smoke is present, but again, not overwhelming. Transitioning to the midpalate, the dram presents nougat and tart cranberry. The palate is well-balanced with a medium-thick mouthfeel. Smoke is the first to present as the finish lingers. Notes of nougat and cranberry are equally present on the finish, but cinnamon shows up for the first time in the finale. The exceptional overall presentation of Leave No Trace ends with a finish of medium length.
Boulder’s 2024 release of Trail Magic is very good as its presents as more mature than in previous years. There are numerous components going into the blend, and they all work together harmoniously. Boulder has previously released uniquely blended bottlings such as The 10 Essentials (2023), but Leave No Trace takes the complexity to a new level. Leave No Trace adds a pleasing amount of tannins to the nosing experiences compared to the younger The 10 Essentials. For those who gravitate toward malt whiskey, this new release will be of great interest. For those who typically shy away from malt whiskey, please reconsider. The 2024 Trail Magic definitely lives up to the expectation of what a limited release should be. 107 proof. A- / $75
Boulder Spirits Cask Strength Bourbon (2024) – The 2024 expression of cask strength bourbon is a blend of 15 barrels from Kelvin Cooperage and Independent Stave Co. with a #3 char. The youngest barrel in the blend was matured for 7 years and 4 months. Boulder’s bourbon mashbill consists of 51% corn, 44% malted barley, and 5% rye.
The nose smells thick and rich as molasses and dark plum rise from the glass. After a moment to air, peach and black pepper scents develop. Bitter dark chocolate arrives late to tie all of the aromas together. Peach and rich molasses are the first flavors to present on the palate. As the dram transitions to the midpalate, nougat and buttercream frosting meet intense dark chocolate and cinnamon. The combination of rich flavors feels as thick in the mouth as they smell to the nose. The theme of molasses and dark chocolate continue on the finish. As the cask strength bourbon heads toward the conclusion, black licorice and plum make themselves known. For a bourbon that both smells and tastes dense, the finish is a bit shorter than expected as it hangs around for a medium length of time.
Drinkhacker last reviewed Boulder Cask Strength Bourbon in 2022 , when it sported a maturation of at least 5 years and was graded as a B+. The 2024 limited release is a substantial step up from the 2022 bottling on all front as it boasts an additional two year of maturation. With two fewer years of aging, the 2022 expression presented a sharp nose that was heavy on barrel char notes. The two additional years of aging allow for the 2024 bottling to offer a nosing experience that is far more developed, with distinctive molasses and stone fruit notes. The sharp barrel char scent from the younger 2022 expression morphed into a more pleasant, bitter dark chocolate character two years later. On the palate, the younger 2022 bottling prominently featured notes of popcorn and peanuts. With additional maturation, the popcorn notes often found in younger bourbon have faded into the abyss two. The younger expression’s stand-out peanut character nicely develops into a more complex almond nougat with the 2024 release. The evolution Boulder Cask Strength Bourbon is an excellent demonstration in how a whiskey progresses in character and quality in a short period of time.
Autumn is the perfect time for Boulder to release their 2024 Cask Strength Bourbon. It’s a dense and rich bourbon that begs to be enjoyed around the campfire as cooler weather moves approaches. The high malt content makes this well-made bourbon all that more enticing. Boulder’s limited release bourbon will certainly grab your attention and make you pause to appreciate it. 128.4 proof. A / $85
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