There is a lot of grumpiness in the whiskey world regarding Non Distiller Producers these days and for good reason - prices keep going up, quality is often going down, transparency is rare, and some bottlers are pushing lame backstories in order to sell product. Yes, I’m looking at you Diageo and your entire stupid fucking Orphan Barrel line. Yet despite those trends, there are a few companies selling sourced whiskey who are doing things right and a shining example of that is High West.
One of the many reasons people love High West is because they are doing interesting things with finishes and blends to create some unique products that aren’t ridiculously expensive. Once such product is their Bourye which has come in a few versions over the years with gist being a blend of straight bourbon and straight rye whiskeys. I enjoyed the 2015 version which made me perk up when I heard the details of their newest 2016 batch. Here are the specs straight from the High West website:
- 9-year-old straight bourbon (mash bill: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt) Source: MGP/LDI/Seagrams, Indiana
- 13-year-old straight rye whiskey (mash bill: 95% rye, 5% barley malt) Source: MGP/LDI/Seagrams, Indiana
- 17-year-old straight rye whiskey (mash bill: 95% rye, 5% barley malt) Source: MGP/LDI/Seagrams, Indiana
You have to love the transparency there. Those are some very respectable numbers with some older whiskey than the previous batch in the mix. The stats had me curious if this batch would be even better than the last so let’s find out.
No age statement; Batch No. 16A13; 46% ABV; $75
Nose: Lots of sweet and lots of wood. It’s not as spicy as I expected but there is some prickly menthol in there. Smells like an early teenage high rye bourbon.
Taste: A lot like the nose - very sweet, lots of wood, and not overly spicy. The front palate is dominated by your typical sweet caramel and vanilla notes. The spice starts to come through in the mid palate in the form of cinnamon red hots which ride out all the way through to the finish. The finish also sees a transition of the sweet flavors into darker notes like cocoa powder. The wood depth here is pretty great as it has hints of some really decent age.
Thoughts: High West are damn good at blending and this is another prime example of that. It’s a nice mix of sweet, spice, and a decent amount of age without being overly bitter. I have an affection for sweeter bourbons and this one definitely hits home there as it is on the sweeter side. I haven’t tasted them side by side and I’m only going off memory here but I’m not sold that it’s a major improvement over the previous batch. That’s okay though because it’s still a great product and now it appears to have consistency on its side which is more than you can say for many other batched NDP products.
Rating: B+ / B
Value: As always, I don’t factor price into my ratings. The price here is a little high for what you get and there are better values to be had. I feel like Rendezvous Rye at around $25 less is still a better buy but it isn’t as unique as this which is what you are really paying for here.
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