Introducing: Ironton Colorado Bourbon
One common misconception about Bourbon is that it must be made in Kentucky. But really, the only requirement for Bourbon is that it must be at least 51% corn, aged in New Charred American Oak Barrels and produced in the United States.
The corn used in our Colorado Bourbon is grown locally on the eastern plains. Ironton has partnered up with local farm owners, the Whiskey Sisters, on this project. Whiskey Sisters Supply sources heirloom blue corn from their family farm that has been operating since 1907.
The Hopi Blue varietal produces beautiful long ears with kernels that appear dark blue but fades as you near the cob. The crops are irrigated to maintain consistent quality and flavor for the distillery. The Hopi corn mixed with 29% malted barley, 15% pale rye malt and 5% red wheat malt creates a sweet creamy whiskey with a spicey bite. The heirloom corn provides high protein and oil content creating a rich, sweet nutty flavor that lands softly on the palette, making it unique to Ironton.
The brewing process on this whiskey is also very different from most others like it. Most distilleries will ferment and distill their bourbon on grain and perform a sour mash (adding old distillate back to the new distillation). At Ironton all wash is fermented off grain. This means we are extracting the sugars from the grain and leaving the dry grain behind using the lauter process. The closed fermentation allows our distillers to better control the outcome and consistency of the product. Once the wash has been fermented, it is run through the still twice to ensure a clean smoothe spirit.
Whiskey gets all of its color and a large amount of its flavor from the barrel. Ironton Bourbon is aged in a char 2 New American White Oak barrel. Our 15-gallon barrels are aged 10-12 months and our 53 gallon barrels are aged for a minimum of 2 years. Once it has reached the perfect oakiness, the whiskey is removed from the barrel and cut to 86 proof using rocky mountain water. The higher proof allows for the drinker to enjoy this whiskey on the rocks without watering it down or in a cocktail without losing that rich whiskey flavor.
