Founding distiller Michael Myers — former NYC fashion/beauty photographer — built Distillery 291 in Colorado Springs to chase old-west whiskey character with Rocky Mountain ingredients: plains grain, Pikes Peak reservoir water, small heavily charred barrels, and a signature finish on toasted Colorado aspen staves. The Small Batch Colorado Bourbon (100 proof) is the approachable house standard; Barrel Proof Single Barrel is the flagship flex. Multiple Double Golds and Jim Murray Liquid Gold nods put 291 on the craft map.