High West Valley Tan

Sampling this whiskey for the first time. A friend from Utah brought it over and I hadn't encountered it before. Always eager to explore something new. Nose - quite peculiar, mirroring the color. It's ripe, salty yet subtly sweet, with a hint of fruit and a slight ethanol burn. Taste - begins quite light, as the color suggests. Agitating it on the tongue reveals flavors gradually. Honey and oats define this one, finishing with a lightly peppery and citrus note. Quite distinctive and easy to drink neat. Overall - it's pleasing and very distinct. Well-rounded, though I desire more depth. I appreciate that it appears exclusive to Utah, making it a neat find where I am in the southeastern US.

2018: Light, could benefit from more time in oak to age and develop. Pale color and taste, but an interesting effort from HW aging their own product. 2025: Revisited an opened bottle. Light straw color with minimal legs. Tropical fruit, banana, musty grain, thin and astringent. I believe I was too lenient in 2018 due to the novelty of HW's own distillate, but that has worn off. They have demonstrated over time that they excel at blending MGP juice, but not so much at distilling their own to MGP quality standards, especially considering their pricing. Disappointing. As Porter Rockwell (the individual depicted on the bottle) toasted Mark Twain, "Wheat!"

I sampled this at the High West distillery in Park City. That area is quite scenic, and if you find yourself there, a stop at High West to try their spirits is worthwhile. I tried this purely for its unique nature – it's exclusive to the distillery. Compared to their 14-year-old Light Whiskey, this was considerably less complex. It seemed younger than its stated 3 years. The nose had a sweet, sugary scent. The taste was somewhat sharp and astringent. I needed to add water to make it smoother. The cost was $40.

A generous acquaintance possesses several hard-to-find bottles, and I noticed this one among them. Having a fondness for HW products, I requested a taste. To be direct, this particular dram was quite disappointing. It was very unengaging and rather bland, tasting quite young with excessive bite. Regrettably, I must rate this below 3 stars, which pains me given my appreciation for HW products.

The second batch presents a sweet aroma of oats, ripe apples, fresh sweet bread, hints of brown sugar and cherry, and a touch of apple cider vinegar. Its palate is rich with yeasted sweet bread, while the apple cider vinegar creates an astringent coating on the mouth, followed by notes of burnt sugar and floral elements. The lengthy finish features astringent ripe green apple that leaves a tingling sensation as the sweet notes dissipate.

Nose: A familiar grain aroma; beyond the ethanol, there's a fruitiness, perhaps like taffy. The distillery's tasting notes mentioned pineapple, but it's subtle, and I don't detect it with every sniff. Palate: Tastes like grains, similar to stale Cheerios. Finish: The grain recedes, giving way to light oak, but it's extremely faint.