Boys of Bourbon

You have to ask yourself a question when you prepare to drink Old Montana. What comes to mind when I think of Montana? Images of the wild west filled with tough mountain men clad in leather and fur and miners with copper flakes under their fingernails. Bar fights and dusty saloons where most men would just as soon punch you as shake your hand. Well, bottle up those ideas in liquid form and you have Old Montana bourbon whiskey. A recent trip to the third largest state in the union inspired me to buy this bottle and give it a try–hey, when in Rome. I must elaborate a bit on the bottle. First of all, this bourbon is distilled in Kentucky (obviously) but bottled in San Jose, CA for Montana Distillers in Helena, MT. Yep, I was confused too. Also, the bottle proudly contains accurate one-liners including, “Spirit of the Wild,” and “Traditional Western American Whiskey.” I splashed the 80 proof amber liquid on top of some ice (which is readily available in the treasure state). Dust and oak might be the main ingredients in this one were my initial thoughts. No need to cut with water though, as 80 proof is manageable. I didn’t mix it with coke, but I think that might have helped. However, I got about half a bottle down while playing poker with new found Montana friends. In other words, you can enjoy it while not completely focusing on the fluid you are imbibing. 

I would usually end my review with that, but I must make a follow up with my second sampling of Old Montana. A weekend in a mountain town in the middle of Colorado seemed like a good place to finish my bottle of Old Montana. Again, I found myself sitting with friends around a poker table. I drank a few glasses cut with water over ice. It also got “accidentally” mixed with some Lemoncello and I agreed to drink it just so the whiskey didn’t go to waste–bad decision. The Old Montana kept me going well into the night, but when I laid down, my head wouldn’t stop spinning. I am not going to blame it all on the Old Montana, but I don’t think I’ll be enjoying another bottle for awhile. Contradictory to many of the things I’ve recently met in Montana, this bourbon is not one for your liquor cabinet.


Price: $13/750mL

Rating: 40