High West Unveils First Ever Bottled-in-Bond Whiskey
High West has unveiled its own bottled-in-bond rye whiskey. A leading figure of the “Rye Revolution” of the 2000s and 2010s, in which rye whiskeys exploded in popularity, the brand long relied on blending aged rye from MGP and Barton 1792. But the future of High West began to take shape in 2015, when it opened its own distillery at Blue Sky Ranch in Utah (it previously had a small distillery in Park City, but that wasn’t used for its main whiskeys). Now, it's finally spotlighting that distillate with the launch of High West Bottled-in-Bond Rye.
Made with 100 percent High West pot still rye (80 percent unmalted and 20 percent malted), the whiskey follows all the standards laid out by the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, meaning it's bottled at 100 proof (50 percent ABV), made by one distiller at a single distillery in one season, and aged for a minimum of four years in a bonded warehouse. In the case of High West’s bottled-in-bond rye, it’s actually aged for five years.
Overall, the whiskey offers a different flavor profile than fans might be used to from High West’s Rendezvous Rye or Double Rye. The nose offers aromas of toasted brioche with spiced pear jam, oatmeal raisin cookies, English toffee, lavender, and ginger. The palate delivers cooked apples, sage, caramel, nutmeg, cinnamon, dark chocolate, and juniper. And the finish includes coconut, caramel, pie crust, and wildflower honey notes. The brand recommends enjoying this neat or with a splash of water.
High West Bottled in Bond is priced at $80 per bottle and is available in Utah, Kentucky, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia. However, despite being a limited edition, the bottle is supposed to become available in other states in the summer and is expected to become an annual release.
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