High West Rendezvous Rye (2022 Release)

Rendezvous Rye has been a favorite of mine from High West for many years, so I was excited to try the 2023 release. It has a much less spicy and cinnamon flavor on the front end than previous releases, but not necessarily a bad thing. Very smooth. The tobacco, vanilla, and citrus notes are easily recognized with a slow sip and soak. Bottom line, this isn’t my favorite release of Rendezvous. That being said, I’ll definitely be picking up another bottle or two when the opportunity presents itself to share with close friends.

I heard great things about high west and really wanted to try this bottle. Tried it neat in a glencairn glass after resting for 10-15min. The nose is full of rye spice, vanilla, orange and tobacco. The tobacco is subtle and the overall nose is great. The mouthfeel is viscous and way more than expected for a 92 proof rye. The palate continues the rye spice of course, orange and tobacco. Some vanilla cones through as well. The finish is long and fulfills the palate. I really like the finish. Nice, easy, and continues with the flavor above. At the very end a little hint of mint comes through (odd) and maybe this is the rye spice. Overall, this is a great drink. I wouldn’t mix it with anything and when adding ice, the flavor profile loses a bit. I’d recommend this bottle for those who like ryes.

Straight: good Water: not good Ice: alright