Laws Whiskey House Expands CU Athletics Partnership with Black and Gold Select Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The limited-edition release from Laws, the Official Whiskey of CU Athletics, blends CU pride with Colorado craftsmanship to support student-athletes through the 5430 Alliance

DENVER, CO, October 22, 2024 — Laws Whiskey House, the Official Whiskey of The University of Colorado Athletics, expands its partnership with the release of its newest expression – the limited edition Black and Gold Select Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Made from just five select barrels handpicked by CU Athletics Director Rick George alongside the Laws team, this bourbon beautifully blends CU pride with Colorado craftsmanship. Laws Whiskey House is proud to support CU Athletics by donating a portion of proceeds from this release to the 5430 Alliance, benefiting CU student-athletes across all 11 collegiate sports.

“The first whiskey we created in partnership with CU Athletics, Ralphie’s Reserve, was about introducing Laws to Buffs fans with a sweeter, more approachable whiskey that’s great in cocktails,” says Al Laws, founder and president of Laws Whiskey House. “Our new Black and Gold release takes it a step further—a limited-edition, 5-barrel blend designed for the discerning whiskey enthusiast. This bold, high-proof whiskey is crafted from barrels aged between four and nine years, offering a more complex and refined sipping experience.”

Buffs fans loudly cheered on Ralphie’s Reserve Straight Bourbon benefiting Ralphie’s Live Mascot Program over the summer, and this expression is expected to garner similar enthusiasm. The Black and Gold Select Straight Bourbon is a full-bodied experience that combines standout flavors in every sip. Aged between 4 and 9 years, the aroma evokes cherry wood, vanilla bean, and golden raisin with a symphony of flavors like sweet honey and orange spice tea on the front, followed by rich, nutty almond butter and a hint of spice, giving a dry, balanced finish that whiskey lovers will appreciate.

“It was such a pleasure to be a part of the selection process for the Black and Gold Select and I’m confident whiskey lovers will be thrilled with the result,” says Colorado Athletic Director Rick George. “CU fans will be able to enjoy a great whiskey while directly supporting our hard-working student-athletes.”  

Laws Black and Gold Select Straight Bourbon retails for $129.99 and is available at the Laws Whiskey House Tasting Room in Denver, online at lawswhiskeyhouse.com, and in select stores, including Hazel’s Beverage World in Boulder, the Official Beverage Store of CU Athletics.

All CU Athletics sponsorship agreements are managed by athletic media rights holder Buffalo Sports Properties, the local, dedicated Learfield team powering college athletics.

For media inquiries, please contact BON Communications at hello@boncomms(.)com.

About Laws Whiskey House

Founded in 2011, Laws Whiskey House makes intentionally bold and terroir-driven whiskeys from Colorado. The distillery’s grain-forward style whiskeys are made with the highest quality corn and heirloom wheat, barley, and rye grown by two Colorado family farms. Laws uses time-tested production techniques that showcase each individual grain's terroir resulting in singular and novel whiskeys.

About Colorado Athletics

The University of Colorado, located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Boulder, began intercollegiate competition in the spring of 1890, and 134 years later the school sponsors 17 varsity programs on the NCAA Division I level.  The school sponsors men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, women's lacrosse, men's and women's skiing, women's soccer, women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field, and women's volleyball.  Known as the Buffaloes since 1934, the school has won 30 national championships, over 200 conference championships and boasts more than 150 individual NCAA Champions.

About Learfield

Learfield is a diversified and influential media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield's presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.