As a young man, relatively new to Colorado at the time, Tincup Whiskey founder Jess Graber climbed Longs Peak, a 14,259-foot mountain, or fourteener. Now years later, Graber returned to the shadow of this massive peak in Rocky Mountain National Park to unveil his newest expression from the rack house — Tincup Fourteener, a 14-year-old whiskey, as an homage to Longs Peak.

The new whiskey is aged for 14 years and cut to proof with Rocky Mountain water. It is the newest addition to the distillery’s respected lineup that includes the original, rye, and a 10-year version of Tincup. The new limited 14-year bottle goes on sale this month and sells for $70.

Graber premiered the new whiskey to a small audience in November, and Thirst Colorado was there to check it out. On a cool Colorado evening in Estes Park, Graber, who founded Stranahan’s Whiskey before starting Tincup, discussed his new creation. This is the first release from Tincup in more than two years, and is as old as the distillery itself.

“We are celebrating one of the great things in Colorado, which is really good Colorado whiskey,” Graber said. “It exemplifies the spirit and it exemplifies the people that go outdoors and enjoy themselves.”

Fourteener pays tribute to outdoor adventures above 14,000 feet, on the highest peaks in the contiguous states. Tincup donated $14,000 to the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative to support its Adopt a Peak Initiative.

“As the sole organization focused on protecting Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks, the partnership was a perfect fit for the new Fourteener product release,” said Brian Sargeant, CFI’s development and communication manager, in an email. “Tincup’s donation will be dedicated to the Adopt work on Grays and Torreys Peaks – two of the most popular fourteeners in the state. Tincup’s generous gift will support at least five volunteer projects that will contribute 100-plus days of volunteer stewardship.”

“We are celebrating one of the great things in Colorado, which is really good Colorado whiskey.”
— Jess Graber, founder, Tincup Whiskey

The combination of Tincup Whiskey and Colorado’s famed fourteeners is a natural pairing. Tincup is intended for campfires and Colorado’s backcountry as the distillery partners in adventure with professional climbers, skiers, anglers and filmmakers. Some of those ambassadors - Matt Segal, Eeland Stribling, Renan Ozturk, and Taylor Reese - came out to help premiere the new Tincup Fourteener.

The ornate bottle showcases Longs Peak with a rose gold cap. The signature Tincup caps are a nod to the distillery’s namesake Tincup, Colorado, an old mining town in Gunnison County. The miners in Tincup would drink their whiskey from tin cups after a long day in the mines.

Since Tincup’s inception in 2008, Graber called his creation, “American Whiskey.” Tincup is a bourbon-style whiskey made with corn, rye, and malted barley. It is a blend of two American whiskeys aged in No. 3 charred white American oak barrels. “High rye” bourbon, distilled and aged in Indiana, blended with Colorado single malt whiskey and cut with Colorado water.

This first series honors the Front Range with Longs Peak. The next series will focus on a different Colorado range. Graber said there are other barrels still aging, leaving the door open for a possible older release in the future.

“That’s part of the fun stuff for us to do, go in there and test it,” Graber said. “Our whole goal is to put out a product that is worthwhile … you want to make the best whiskey in the world.”