High West Double Rye Barrel Select - Rum Cask Finish

These are the less interesting types of tastings: store picks you can only find in one location, so that even if they're good, you'll never get one if you live elsewhere. High West makes many, and they're reasonably priced. They also sell out fast. If you're not focused on them, you miss out, and this is the first time I was fast enough to get one: rum finished Double Rye. I think I previously mentioned how I'd had the Double Rye before High West switched from using older MGP stock to including their own distillate, after which, according to everyone, the quality declined. I believe the people I follow, so I'm not doubting that. The only reason I say 'according to everyone' is that I didn't revisit High West Double Rye after that, mostly because I was more interested in other things. High Rye definitely still appeals to me. The bottle design alone is fantastic. I like the image they present, and I always intended to return, especially if I could obtain one of the sought-after store picks that offered something extra beyond the Double Rye. The last one I saw was, I think, a sherry finish, and I missed that one. It wasn't available in any of the stores near me, and I wasn't going to travel for it, while this one, the Rum Finish, showed up at a store about 4 miles away. And the day it hit shelves, I drove over and got the first bottle. (My father once asked if I check the website daily to stay on top of these releases. Yes, Dad, I replied, I check the daily). There was also a High West 'American Bourbon' that was finished in Sherry, but I passed on it. In any event, I don't regret my choice to purchase this. It cost $55, which seemed fair for a store pick with a finishing, and the proof is 98.9, which is respectable. And after all, I've had other rum-finished whiskies: the Tully XO, the Glenlivet Caribbean, and they are always pleasant, even if they don't always impress. And this is pleasant but not impressive. The aroma is mostly dominated by the rum, with the molasses spices coming through. The rye is ultimately suppressed, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Would I prefer a bit more balance? Could I picture this with a little more, perhaps, cola or anise or strong rye spice, yes. But it's not a dealbreaker. The interesting thing here, besides the rum aroma, is the palate, which might be more familiar if I had tasted the regular Double Rye after the switch to more High West Distillate, but again, there's not much rye here. There's a little pepper, but surprisingly, the palate is full of tropical fruit. There's molasses from the rum, but there's also a lot of mango, which again, to me, suggests the rye is being suppressed. The finish is decent and spicy and lasts, and is really the only part of this whisky where I detect any rye notes. It's actually quite similar to the Glenlivet Caribbean in many ways, in that the rum becomes dominant, perhaps because the base spirit in the blend isn't well-aged and can't hold its own against the barrel finishing. I will definitely finish the bottle, but I'm also glad I didn't have to travel far for it. While it's not a disappointment, it's certainly not something to immediately tell your friends about and post on social media that they must find this. Recently, I complained about increasing prices, and due to rising costs, I often wonder before spending, what else could I get for the same money that might be better? For a few dollars more I could have purchased Pikesville. For a similar price, actually a bit less, I could have gotten the Jack Daniels Single Barrel Rye. If I had chosen bourbon, I could have obtained Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon or the Old Forester Prohibition. So no, I don't necessarily regret buying this. But there are superior bottles in this price range, which means I won't be returning to this specific source anytime soon. Ultimately, if I wanted a rum, I could have bought a rum, and a better one at that. Plantation 5 year costs $25 a bottle. The entire point of finishing a whisky in rum casks is to see how the two interact, and there's not much interaction here. Not bad, just costs more than it's worth.

All the spice of the standard Double Rye, complemented by a sweet, mellow rum finish. Abundant notes of clove, cinnamon, and toffee balance the spice from the young rye whiskey. The finish is smooth and doesn't overstay its welcome.

Sweet aroma of sugar cane. Brown sugar and baking spices. Notes of clove or allspice are present.