High West - Bourye (2018)
$79.99
High West – Bourye “Limited Sighting” (2018)
Collection: Batch 18A04
Proof: 92
Age: Blended – Minimum of 10 years
Distillery: High West Distilling – Sourced from MGP (Indiana)
Type: American Whiskey – Blended
Mash: Blend of 5 Whiskeys – 14 & 13 Year Ryes – (95% Rye / 5% Barley)
11 and 12 Year Old Bourbons (75% Corn / 21% Rye / 4% Barley), (60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Barley)
Website: High West Distillery
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: Butterscotch, Root Beer, Elmers Glue / Nail polish remover, and Floral Potpourri.
Taste/Palate: This dram is very dry on the palate. It was surprising given my nose picked up Butterscotch first so I expected more sweet vs dry. But more on the dry side is not surprising for an unfinished Rye. You get some corn from the bourbons, but the ryes dominate here for me. Rye spice, Clove, and a tiny bit of Vanilla.
Finish: I get Charred Oak on the finish combined with Rye spice again. Given the age and types of whiskeys blended here I expected more complexity on the finish and some of the bourbons to pull through. It was a long finish, but not terribly complex and also rye dominate.
Verdict: It’s interesting. I’ve spent more money on worse pours. I think my problem is with the blend of nicely aged bourbons and ryes I expected more, but it’s worth a try especially if you like Ryes. The price point is not out of line given the ages of these individual blended whiskeys. It’s not a “go-to” rye for me, but if someone tells me they like ryes I’ll certainly have them give this one a go.
The Story: I saw this guy on a store shelf last year and I just got to cracking it open. When it comes to pouring a drink I usually walk down to my bar and look over the selection and pour what sounds good. In this case the bottle sat at the back of the shelf and I never got to it. Today was the day because I wanted to revisit a rye since the last one was mint dominate for me. It stayed in the back of my mind “was it just me? Do all ryes taste like that for me now? Did COVID ruin my Rye taste buds? So a rye was on the menu for me today. The answer is no. Mint is not what I usually get from Ryes, just in isolated circumstances.
I’ve seen more of these bottles on the shelf in multiple stores so if you have your heart set on it, you should be able to find this without too much trouble.
The Distillery’s Story: “Bou” for Bourbon and “Rye” for Rye Whiskey. Blend these two types together and you get the High West “Bourye”. They source their juice from Indiana and bottle under their brand. I’d like to note that they use pretty cool blown glass bottles too. On the label you’ll see the Jackalope (antelabbit). There’s quite the backstory about the Jackalope on the High West Webpage.
High West is based in Park City, Utah and is known for their cool bottles, Old West style names, and recently more known for their “Midwinter Nights Dram” that seems to be catching on as a coveted collectors bottle, now being allocated in many areas.
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Solid. It hit all of what’s expected.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Reviewer: David S
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