High West Campfire (Discontinued)

HIGH WEST SHOWDOWN High West American Prairie Bourbon High West Campfire High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram, Act 6 Scene 4 Continuing to work through whiskies in my collection that I’ve yet to review. High West is a Utah-based distiller that uses sourced whiskies in addition to their own distillate. To my knowledge, they don’t white-label any single sourced product; rather, they blend different whiskies. I became a fan when I acquired my first version of A Midwinter Night’s Dram, and I’ve since purchased a couple others. While each of these are quite different—one is a bourbon, one is a whiskey, and one is a blend of straight rye whiskies—their components are uniquely combined by the same producer. High West American Prairie Bourbon Color is a clear, bourbonesque Pantone 153. Nose evokes caramel, graham cracker, sawdust, and a light herbaceous note, along with cooling spearmint. Sweet palate with honey, candied orange, with an oaky spiciness that leads to a vanilla finish with good length. American Prairie Bourbon (now labeled “High West Bourbon”) uses sourced bourbon from both MGP and Kentucky. According to their website (the label directs you there for the specifics), the MGP mashbill is 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. Another (non-MGP) is 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley. Additionally, it notes that “Other whiskey components are undisclosed due to contractual reasons.” I’m fine with this. Contracts are contracts. But there’s no obfuscation; no smoke and mirrors (well, there is smoke in the Campfire whiskey, below). They take pains to be clear and forthright. And my bottle notes that 10% of the bottle’s after-tax profits go to the American Prairie Reserve. APB offers sweetness, spice, complexity, 92 proof points, and can be found for just over $30. There are few if any bourbons in the market offering that combination and value. Would I buy it again? Yes. Without hesitation. Pour it neat, turn on the TV to “Yellowstone,” and embrace your inner cowboy. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. 46% ABV. NAS. Batch 17J27. Non chill filtered. No added coloring. High West Campfire Whiskey Color is slightly lighter than the American Prairie Bourbon, and registers around Pantone 138. Nose shows smoke and honey, honey and smoke, some clove, and cool spearmint. Smoke and honey, honey and smoke: High West Campfire is the Islay of the Rockies. The unique combination of smoke and sweetness is unlike the sweet and smoke of some Ardbeg offerings, or Lagavulin Distiller’s Edition. It is uniquely High West, who is to be commended for blazing new whiskey trails and merging disparate distillates (and flavor profiles) with aplomb. Campfire retails for $80. There is nothing like it, anywhere. Would I buy it again? Yes. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. 46% ABV. Batch 17R15 High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram Rye Whiskey, Act 6 Scene 4 This whiskey is the darkest of the bunch, with deep russet hues that show as Pantone 160. The nose greets you with copious brown sugar, mulled cider, baked apples, some oaky vanilla (in a non-cacophanous way), and a pleasantly unambiguous sweet rye note. The whiskey meets the tongue with a light oiliness, melding into classic rye spice, finishing long, with more vanilla. Superb. A Midwinter Night’s Dram has a few releases each year: “Act” refers to the year since the first release, and “Scene” refers to the iteration of that year’s release. According to the distiller, this bottling begins with the High West Renezvous Rye (which includes both High West and sourced distillate) and is finished in both tawny and ruby port barrels. “Words, words, words” said The Bard whom the title references. “Rye, rye, rye” says the humble writer of this paean to the Utopians of Utah. Or, not quite homonymically: “aye, aye, aye.” I bought this bottle some time ago; apparently now the current release retails for about $250, according to an Internet search, although High West’s website shows a retail price of $125. I think I paid around $90 a few years back (this particular bottle was in my inventory, unopened until tonight). Would I buy it again? Aye. Even if I had to sell something. 4.25 on the Distiller scale. 49.3% ABV. There’s much to like about High West Distillery. Their bottles are rustic, with air bubbles within the glass, uneven bottle floors, and dappled surfaces. The labels feature ragged-edged fonts. Their products feature Western-themed names, with the exception of A Midwinter Night’s Dram—and who am I to have a beef with channeling Shakespeare? Rugged with a touch of sophistication. And it’s not just the marketing. High West’s whiskies are non-chill filtered and have no added coloring. The labels are specific in mashbills; disclose sourcing details when they are contractually allowed; and spin stories that have no need for the literary suspension of disbelief. The point-size of the copious fine print crammed into the back labels suggests a friendly transparency and warm embrace. There is nothing to hide here. High West doesn’t sell any watered-down 80-proof whiskies, which suggests not only a commitment to quality, but the concomitant high proof is symbiotic with their rough Western vibe. They have a philanthropic ethos. All of this suggests a vision that is committed to quality—and even art, considering their consistent marketing themes. Horace Greely had it right: “Go West, young man!” N.B.: All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Nose: peat, smoke, vanilla, molasses, Palate: slight peat, vanilla, a hint of smoke. Molasses, oak, a mild cherry. A bit of rye spice Finish: mild phenols, oak tanins