High West Double Rye Barrel Select PX Finish

Rating: 15/23 I previously quite liked High West Double Rye. I'm very curious about this PX finish, but I'm also wary because PX tends to be super funky and overwhelming. Hopefully this one is more subdued. N: A big rye herbal minty spiciness. It's decadent and very reassuring. A faint malty hint and musty dust smell. A touch of cherry and vanilla too. It's very decadent, nicely balanced, pretty complex, and very reassuringly not overwhelmed by PX. P: Rye front and center with Herbal flavors alongside mint. A hint of maltiness is here too. In the second wave of flavor, I get cherry and nuttiness with some funk that is a tad off, but that melds in with the funky rye herbaceousness fairly well. This is quite sweet, but the mint and bitterness really help to balance it. Still, there's just a bitter bite to the funk with a slight industrial quality that really throws off the balance here a bit. F: The funk lingers a long time with just a touch of vegetal flavor. Some licorice and vanilla too. Herbal touches. A little nuttiness too. Not so much good or bad as bold and a bit challenging. - Conclusion - I think that there is a lot of potential here, a fair amount of which was realized, but a fair amount of which also doesn't quite land. The more I drink of this, the more the PX comes in. I feel like it could integrate nicely with this rye, but it just lingers so much on the finish that it's difficult for that to happen. This isn't on the same level as Belle Meade Cask Strength Reserve (18-19), but it is competitive with WhistlePig Piggyback (16/23). I'm thinking a 15 to 17 for this one. I think I would be at a 16 despite the weird flavors on the palate if it weren't for the lingering finish. Considering that, I'm leaning toward a 15. Thank you to a friend for sharing this one! Definitely one of the better PX finishes I've tried.

It’s December 4, and I'm planning to taste a new rye whiskey daily this month. While my rye expertise isn't as underdeveloped as my Scotch knowledge was this time last year, I'm always open to recommendations for good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it's good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Specifically, I need something disgusting. No joke. Objectives (simplified): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Easily obtainable. (1/5, WT101) I want to be able to distinguish between any bourbon and any rye. First attempt. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a really unpleasant rye. I want the one that tastes like a zeppelin full of balsamic vinegar was shot down by Jin'Zallah the Sandbringer and crashed in southern Tanaris. If you know, you know. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aroma: Combines notes of bourbon and rye. Body: Cherry! This has the brown sugar and baking spices of a quality rye in the background, but with prominent fruit notes of cherry that I adore. It has a cherry cola flavor that I really enjoy! Finish: The rye presence is felt here. Baking spices and sweet grass. This is both intriguing and wonderfully delicious. Cheers to Milliardo! Buddha’s Belly Button 2021!

Compared to the Rabbit Hole Deringer, this feels less substantial. The nose offers cinnamon, cherry, and classic High West rye. It's good, and I would really enjoy it if I wasn't comparing it. The Deringer is far superior. The finish is brief and leaves one questioning.