High West’s Rendezvous Rye is one of the most well received rye whiskeys I can think of. Then again, it’s hard not to love a masterful blend of 6 year MGP rye with 16 year Barton rye that is readily accessible and from company who is honest about their sources. Given that, you can imagine the whiskey world was thrilled back in 2014 when High West announced it would release a port and french oak finished version of it with A Midwinter Night’s Dram.
I had high hopes for that release and per my review of Act 1, I was not disappointed. Act 1 was a gift shop only release but Act 2 came shortly after with a nationwide rollout. To me there were some subtle differences but by and large they were the same great product that I believe to be the best new American whiskey released that year. Here today we have the third iteration of that line in Act 3 which saw a limited release nationwide in the Fall of 2015. I had a much harder time acquiring a bottle of the latest release and it will probably be even more difficult in the future since Whisky Advocate rated it #1 in their most recent quarterly top ten.
No age statement; 49.3% ABV; Act 3 Scene 3; $85
Nose: Very rich and sweet with a lot of fruity port influences like raisins along with some crisp mentholy rye spice. Smells exactly like what you would expect from a decently aged port finished rye whiskey.
Taste: Very much like the nose. Starts off with rich layers of sweets like caramel covered dates and finishes with mint and menthol spices. Very thick, lush mouthfeel and only minimal amounts of the infamous dill note that is prevalent in MGP rye whiskeys. It drinks so easy it’s hard to imagine this is nearly 100 proof. Age wise it tastes very much like a blend of the composite whiskeys as it’s neither overly young nor over-oaked or bitter.
Thoughts: A phenomenal whiskey, every bit as good or maybe even better than my memory of Act 1. The port influence seems even stronger which for me isn’t a bad thing. High West has hit another one out of the park, keeping this in my list of all time favorite whiskeys.
Rating: A
Value: As always, I don’t factor price into my ratings. At $80 retail, this bottle is well worth it.
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