High West American Prairie Bourbon

High West American Prairie Bourbon: The color is a clear, bourbon-like shade. Its aroma brings to mind caramel, graham cracker, sawdust, and a subtle herbal note, plus cool spearmint. The palate is sweet, with honey, candied orange, and an oaky spice leading to a vanilla finish of good duration. This bourbon, now called "High West Bourbon," uses sourced bourbon from MGP and Kentucky. The MGP mashbill is 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. Another source has an 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley mashbill. Other components are undisclosed due to contracts, which is fine, as there’s no deception. They are clear and forthright. A portion of the profits goes to the American Prairie Reserve. This offering provides sweetness, spice, complexity, is 92 proof, and costs just over $30. Few, if any, bourbons offer that combination and value. I would purchase it again without hesitation. Enjoy it neat while watching "Yellowstone" and feel like a cowboy. Rated 4.0. 46% ABV. No Age Statement. Batch 17J27. Non chill filtered. No added coloring. High West Campfire Whiskey: The color is a bit lighter than the American Prairie Bourbon. The aroma is smoke and honey, honey and smoke, some clove, and cool spearmint. Smoke and honey, honey and smoke: This is the Islay of the Rockies. Its unique blend of smoke and sweetness differs from the sweet and smoky notes of some Ardbeg or Lagavulin Distiller’s Edition expressions. It is distinctly High West, and they deserve praise for forging new whiskey paths and skillfully blending different distillates and flavor profiles. This whiskey costs $80. There's nothing else like it. I would buy it again. Rated 4.0. 46% ABV. Batch 17R15. High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram Rye Whiskey, Act 6 Scene 4: This whiskey is the darkest of the group, showing deep russet tones. The nose offers plenty of brown sugar, mulled cider, baked apples, some oaky vanilla (in a pleasant way), and a clearly sweet rye taste. It feels lightly oily on the palate, blending into classic rye spice, with a long finish featuring more vanilla. Excellent. This whiskey has several releases annually; "Act" denotes the years since the first release, and "Scene" indicates the iteration within that year's release. According to the distiller, this bottling starts with High West Renezvous Rye and is finished in tawny and ruby port barrels. "Words, words, words" said the famous playwright the title references. "Rye, rye, rye" says this admirer of the Utah distillers. Or, more accurately: "aye, aye, aye." I acquired this bottle some time ago; current releases appear to retail for about $250 online, though the distiller's site lists $125. I recall paying around $90 a few years back for this unopened bottle. Would I buy it again? Yes, even if I had to sell something. Rated 4.25. 49.3% ABV. There's much to appreciate about this distillery. Their bottles have a rustic charm with glass imperfections and uneven surfaces, and the labels use ragged-edged fonts. Their products have Western-themed names, apart from A Midwinter Night’s Dram – and channeling Shakespeare is certainly acceptable. The overall impression is rugged yet sophisticated. Beyond the branding, their whiskies are non-chill filtered and contain no added coloring. The labels are detailed about mashbills and disclose sourcing information when contracts permit, while telling engaging stories. The tiny print size on the back labels suggests open transparency and a welcoming approach; there's nothing to hide. They do not produce any watered-down 80-proof spirits, indicating a commitment to quality. The higher proof complements their rugged Western image. They also have a philanthropic mission. All of this points to a vision focused on quality and even artistry, considering their consistent marketing themes. Following the advice to "Go West, young man!" seems appropriate. Note: All spirits were tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Aroma: maple, sugar, salt, fresh dough. Tangerine. Possibly some watermelon. Strawberry. Yeast. Vanilla. Overall impression = fruit wine. Body: watermelon, walnuts, more sugar. Orange is present. Strawberry persists. Extremely sweet initially, nutty towards the end. Giggety. Finish: sawdust, hint of cinnamon. Bubble gum. Mint. A bit of the tangerine returns. When drinking whiskies with hints of youth, there's a temptation to drink them quickly. That was my intention with this bottle, and I'm glad I examined it closely. This was surprisingly good, and I'm unsure why I underestimated it until now. I had mentally categorized High West as a rye producer, and while their ryes are good, I believe this surpasses any of their standard ryes. To me, this ranks alongside Four Roses and 1792 as an affordable, tasty lower-tier bourbon (let's say, shelf 2 out of 5). Bonus fun fact: this is apparently no longer bottled as 'American Prairie Bourbon' as of January 2023 (or possibly earlier). The new product, 'High West Bourbon,' is supposedly the same bourbon with a new label, so naturally, I bought one and compared them directly. You know my feelings on scientific methods. For my bottles, the High West Bourbon is noticeably inferior. I'd describe it as a flatter, less flavorful version of my American Prairie. However: AP is stated to be a blend of bourbons up to 13 years old. A lot can happen in 13 years. I'd accept that a highly skilled group of whiskey blenders used the same process on *similar* bourbon stocks for both these blends, aiming for the same result. The difference between the two bottles is within the acceptable range of variation for a product line. I've encountered two different bottles of Rock Hill Farms that were more dissimilar than these two. I accept that these two bourbons are the same product, and I hope some of the new High West Bourbon blends will be as delicious as this 375 mL American Prairie.

High West American Prairie Bourbon November 2022 $23.99 for 750ml 2 oz neat in a Glencairn Color: straw Nose: Very subtle, but with a deep inhale, prominent brown sugar, caramel, vanilla with hints of apple and dried fruit. Palate: Buttered cinnamon raisin toast. Oak, caramel, and toffee are present in the finish. Light but slightly oily mouthfeel. Overall: This is clearly a very young bourbon, and with an age statement of 'at least 2 years,' it shows. Light color, faint nose, generally mild flavors that aren't harsh but aren't necessarily well-developed or complex. However, this is a pretty enjoyable bourbon for my preferences at such a low price. With greater intensity of these flavors, it would be truly solid. It has a bit of an ethanol bite on the finish due to the aforementioned points and its 92 proof. I'm relatively new to bourbon, having sampled about 20, and this is my first review, so I may be being overly generous or critical, but time will tell. Overall: 6.5/10 Value: 8.5/10

Served neat. The aroma is sweet (caramel apple perhaps?), overwhelmed by the scent of high-proof rubbing alcohol. The taste is spicy with cinnamon and clove notes and a noticeable burn throughout. The finish isn't the smoothest bourbon I've had, but it's solid. Score: 3.25. Scoring Legend: 5.0 - Near perfect, truly special. 4.5 - Amazing, always keep on hand if possible. 4.0 - Very Good, only one minor issue. 3.5 - Good, enjoyable to drink. 3.0 - Solid, wouldn't seek it out. 2.5 - Meh, still drinkable. Under 2.5 - Best for cooking.

I needed some time to appreciate this one, but it has proven to be a very enjoyable spirit. It lacks the complexity of many bourbons, which is not a negative. This is a direct, sweet bourbon with notes of vanilla and oak, possessing a solid kick. It carries a mild caramel flavor, typical of most bourbons. Despite what others may claim, I find it works wonderfully as a fall cocktail component, complementing flavors such as red apple and pumpkin.

This was a pleasant surprise. A friend offered it at their place and I really liked it. Based on the description, it has a typical bourbon aroma and flavor profile. Smells of rich vanilla and caramel, with tastes of cinnamon and spice, and a 92 proof that's not too strong. It's good neat and changes significantly on a large ice cube. It's easily found in PA and priced in the mid-$30s, which I consider a good deal, so I've started buying it regularly. Enjoy!