High West, yet another western state startup using eastern state sourced juice. Ok this isn't a completely bad idea, Tin Cup, Stranahans etc are doing some good work with this model as well. Not gonna lie to you though, I don't think much of millionaires who want to get their name up in lights by starting their own craft distillery/vineyards in some hoity toity tourist ski town, to me this is just a sign of exuberant arrogance and hubris. As a purist, give me a trusted (East of the Mississip) century plus year old name label any day over these johnny come lately wannabes, but they are becoming too common place to ignore, so here goes. Batch: 18A3(D or 0) Pint Nose: The young mgp high rye spice is evident here as the spice jumps up first, caramel corn sugars arrive but also some nice, very sweet dark plum and apricot notes, something I would not have expected at all. The aged Kentucky juice is clearly giving this a nice boost. This is a really promising nose. Front: Hot, sweet start, the young mgp is again the more prominent and easily notable element with a prevalent rye factor. A few hints of average sweet bourbon notes, vanilla and toffee are barely detectable. Finish: It ends as fast as it started with no real change to the profile, for a 90 proofer this seems entirely thin in the middle. It's not bad it just never really develops beyond the nice nose, as it's simply too watered down with the young Indiana juice. This comes off much more as an American whiskey than a bourbon, even with some well aged Kentucky juice blended in. Like David Perkins, I too have been to Loretto Kentucky and seen the beauty and grace of a perfected craft, this does not, however make me a master Distiller, and I too, given the bank roll could import a large amount of Fred Noe, Chris Morris or Eddie Russells well aged juice and blend something pretty acceptable out of it. I'd like to say this is better than it is, if only to recommend the work of MGP and other venerable distilleries. Maybe I will grab a bottle of Dickel BiB and Old Forester Rye and concoct a blend that can match or beat this for equal or less money. High West's American Prairie isn't a bad effort but being just ok isn't exceptional. I'm fairly certain I could do just as well on my own blending bourbons. If you're skiing in the Rockies and find yourself in a nice resort bar by all means sample some "local" product, but when you want the real thing, skip these gimmicky marketing labels and remember where "the juice" really comes from, you'll be glad you did.