Downslope Distilling
Brief overview of the distillery
Downslope Distilling is located in Centennial, Colorado, and has been a true small-batch distillery since 2009. Here they work from raw ingredients to bottle and produce several whiskey styles side by side with rum, vodka, gin and agave spirits. The distillery is known for its small batches, single-barrel releases, a 100% peated American Single Malt and a wide range of handmade bitters.
History
The distillery’s history begins in 2009 with a clear objective to produce complex spirits in small batches without cutting corners. Over time the range expanded from basic whiskey types to also include bourbon-style releases, experimental malted-oat whiskies, a peated single malt, and other spirits. Education and experiences are woven into the concept: hands-on workshops and tastings have become fixed elements of operations, while the distillery also offers to-go cocktails and a series of small-batch bitters.
Raw materials and production
Production work is carried out in small batches with a focus on grain-based mash bills. The distillery uses malted rye and barley in rye variants and experiments with malted oats in special batches; cane sugar- and agave-washes are also made for rum and agave spirits. Fermentation education covers pH, water adjustment, enzymes, use of a hydrometer and understanding starch conversion. For distillation, among others a 16-gallon Mile Hi Flute still is used with up to six plate sections, and the courses cover both stripping- and spirit-runs as well as cut techniques. After distillation blending, filtration and barrel aging enter the post-processing.
Maturation and cask types
Barrel aging is included in both product development and education. One of their releases is described as single-barrel and cask-strength, which shows that the distillery actively releases limited cask picks and experiments with aging. Workshops also include barrel aging principles, so aging is used both for commercial releases and as a learning tool.
Whiskies
The portfolio covers several whiskey styles: straight rye, bourbon-style releases, experimental malted-oat variants, and a 100% peated American Single Malt. In addition, they produce rum, vodka, gin and agave spirits, as well as a range of small-batch bitters in variants such as celery, cherry, chocolate, citrus, habanero and tiki. Several releases are issued in limited series or as single-barrel, which influences availability.
| Whisky | Type / series | Cask and style | Tasting profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Rye Whiskey | Rye | Straight Rye Whiskey is described as a whiskey with bold spice, smooth sweetness and a light finish; it is made with malted rye and barley for extra depth and drinkability. | Current | |
| Experimental Cask (Malted Oat Whiskey) | Malted Oat / Single Malt-style | A limited edition made of 51% malted oats and 49% malted barley; the release was only 141 bottles. | Limited; Limited quantity; 141 bottles | |
| 100% Peated American Single Malt | American Single Malt (peated) | Single-barrel; finish: Cask-strength; smoky/peaty | A 100% peated American Single Malt released as single-barrel and cask-strength; the smoke is described as 'peat without pretense' and as influenced by local grasslands. | Current |
| Bourbon Whiskey (Upcoming Release) | Bourbon-style | Bourbon Whiskey is announced as an upcoming release with a specific return date mentioned on the site (Bourbon Whiskey will return on April 25th). | Upcoming; Upcoming release |
Styles and flavor profiles of the whiskies
Three main directions emerge: a spicy and lightly sweet rye character from rye, a nutty and silky profile in malted-oat experiments, and a pronounced smoke in the 100% peated American Single Malt, where the smoke is described as influenced by local grasslands. The bitters series adds fruity notes (cherry), chocolate/cacao and citrus, as well as fresh chili in the habanero variant.
Visit the distillery
The distillery offers guided tours including a tasting of three spirits and a branded Glencairn glass as part of the experience; tours can be booked. The tasting room has set opening hours and longer hands-on workshops (3 days, 9:00–16:00 MST) where participants work hands-on with mashing, fermentation, distillation on a Mile Hi Flute still and barrel aging. Workshops require advance booking and are non-refundable. There is also a shop with bitters and merchandise.
The stated opening hours are Monday - Tuesday CLOSED; Wednesday 14:00 - 18:00; Thursday 14:00 - 18:00; Friday 14:00 - 20:00; Saturday 14:00 - 20:00; Sunday 15:00 - 18:00.
Philosophy and craft
The workflow is built on small-batch craftsmanship: you start with raw ingredients, follow the process through each stage and avoid shortcuts. Quality, pride in the finished product, and sharing knowledge through hands-on instruction are central values.