High West Rocky Mountain Rye 21 Year Review

I'm a big fan of High West. I like the company, I've enjoyed most of their products, and the proprietor David Perkins seems like a real stand up guy. Here today we have an interesting product from them that was introduced back in 2009 (I think) but since discontinued for quite a while now. During an AMA with David on /r/bourbon, I asked how he came to source such a rare rye whiskey. I love his candid answer as to how this product came to be so much that I felt it's worth a repost here:

We bought three lots of Barton rye at the same time. The 21 year old and two different 16 year olds. I was introduced to Larry Epersold at the Seagram's plant by Jim Rutledge, I was seeking bourbon but Larry said he had rye to buy and he handed me samples of the Barton. He said "You can have as much as you want." Back then they couldn't give rye away. Especially old rye. I said "I'll take all you got!" and was scared to death because we didn't have the money to pay for it. I think I stretched the payment out a year and a half. We look like genius's now. In fact, people told me "Why did you buy that rye, you're going to lose your shirt. Nobody buys rye."

My how times have changed.

Aged 21 years in reused cooperage; 46% ABV; Batch 9; Retail price $120 - $150 (discontinued)

Nose: Lots of baking spices with very little heat. Smells like a really old whiskey, I would have guessed 15+ years based on the nose. 

Taste: Old oak, sweet wood sugars, and prickly rye baking spices. The mouthfeel has a nice silky texture to it. It has the depth of an older whiskey which is surprising given the cooperage and those casks also seem to have imparted a lot of traditional sweet bourbon notes as well. Overall it's a really great balance of sweet and spicy with a touch of older/darker wood notes. If I had one complaint it would be that it is slightly on the thin side. 

Thoughts: This is wonderful stuff and one of my all time favorite rye based whiskies. The extended aging and re-used casks have made something really unique because I've never had anything else like this. Like almost every whiskey these days though I would not pay whatever ridiculous secondary rate this is going for which I'm guessing is $300+. 

Rating: A-

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.