Hoot + Howl Spirits’ Historically Inspired Spirits Highly Awarded at Heartland Whiskey Competition

Hoot + Howl Spirits’ mountain-crafted, historically inspired spirits earned three major awards at The 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition. The Colorado distillery earned the title of Best of Colorado and a silver medal for its Armagnac Cask Bourbon as well as a silver medal for its soon-to-be-released Amaro Cask Bourbon. 

The Heartland Whiskey Competition is open to craft whiskies from all 50 states that incorporate corn into their mash bill. The masked tasting evaluates whiskies on factors like appearance, aroma, palate complexity, and more.

Armagnac Cask Bourbon, awarded a silver medal and a tie for Best of Colorado, is blended from seven-year-old bourbon and finished for one year in an ex-Armagnac cask. This spirit is rich with layers of fruit, spice and oak. Notes of candied fruit, vanilla, toasted almonds, and cinnamon create a bold-yet-smooth sipping experience.  Bottles of Hoot + Howl’s Armagnac Cask Bourbon are available now across Colorado at select retailers. 

Amaro Cask Bourbon, awarded a silver medal, is blended from seven-year-old bourbon and finished for one year in a Sicilian amaro cask. This whiskey delivers a rich balance of sweet, bitter, and herbal notes. With hints of vanilla, citrus peel, dried fruit and caramel, it drinks like a Black Manhattan in a bottle.Not yet released, Hoot + Howl’s Amaro Cask Bourbon is coming soon to retailers across Colorado.

“We spent years studying the methods of past distillers and reimagining the modern process before we launched this past May,” said Hoot + Howl Founder Callan Deline. “After pouring our souls into crafting the best tasting spirits, we’re so proud to earn a title like Best of Colorado at our first ever competition.”

Hoot + Howl’s spirits are set apart by their commitment to patient, historically inspired techniques. Both Armagnac Cask Bourbon and Amaro Cask Bourbon benefit from time-honored processes including curated barrel selection, skillful blending, raising the barrel and slow-proofing. 

The barrels used to age Hoot + Howl’s spirits are chosen according to subtle factors that influence a spirit’s character. Then, Hoot + Howl uses a process called “raising the barrel,” a seldom-practiced, traditional technique borrowed from brandy-making that treats the spirit as a dynamic entity, employing progressive blends, controlled warehouse conditions, and careful proof adjustments during maturation. Finally, slow proofing, gradually adding water over weeks or even months, preserves volatile compounds, resulting in a distinctly soft, refined final product.

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ABOUT HOOT + HOWL 

Hoot + Howl is a Colorado-based distillery that reimagines historical spirits and traditional distilling techniques. A passion project led by Founder Callan Deline and Head Distiller Chris Ritenour, Hoot + Howl’s inventive approach to diverse spirits ranges from Black Tea Liqueur to Colorado-inspired Gin. Hoot + Howl’s wildly good spirits are available across Colorado starting now. Learn more at hootandhowl.co or stop by a retailer in the Front Range to learn more by the glass.