High West Whiskey Double Rye Barrel Select Review
photo by Outsider
We’re big fans of High West Distillery’s A Midwinter Night’s Dram, so we decided to pick up a bottle of their Double Rye! Barrel Select, which is a blend of two ryes (one distilled at High West and one sourced from MGP) that have been finished in second-use barrels (rum, brandy, gin, scotch, or wine) for between six months and two years.
Our store pick from Total Wine in Nashville was finished in a rum barrel (#25897) for one year. Let’s get sipping.
At a Glance
- Distilleries: High West (Utah) and MGP (Indiana)
- Bottled: High West Distillery
- Location: Park City, Utah
- Style: Straight Rye Whiskey Blend
- Barrel Finish: Rum
- Proof: 102
- MSRP: $65
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High West Whiskey Double Rye! Barrel Select: What We Say
| Nose | light alcohol, bubblegum, eucalyptus, dates |
| Palate | vanilla, bubblegum, date-nut bread, rye spice |
| Finish | medium, warm vanilla, minty clove |
| What You Can Expect to Pay | $50-$75 |
| Buy It: Now, Soon, Later, Never | Soon |
| Outsider Rating | 85/100 |
Very light alcohol greets the nose, followed by an immediate waft of bubblegum—like a big, pink square of Hubba Bubba. A deeper nosedive reveals eucalyptus and dark fruit, specifically dates and raisins. Truly delightful. On the palate, vanilla is forefront, followed by the aforementioned bubblegum. A little bit of chewing reveals this juice’s rum-barrel-enhanced dessert-like qualities in the form of fresh-baked date-nut bread (baking spices, dates, and walnuts). The medium finish brings just a touch of minty clove with soothing, warm vanilla. I wish it lingered just a tad longer because its off-bourbon profile is truly enjoyable thanks, in part, to the blending and barrelling.
Coming it at 102 proof, the warmth feels more in line with something in the 107-109 proof range. And that’s a compliment. If you’re in the market for something outside a traditional-tasting Kentucky bourbon, try a Barrel Select sip.
Recommended Sip
High West Double Rye! Barrel Select sips great neat. But I’m gonna give it a try in a Manhattan for something a little unique.
What High West Says
High West Double Rye! Barrel Select Whiskey is a distinctive, limited-release, barrel-finished version of High West whiskey in hand-numbered whiskey bottles. Specially selected batches of Double Rye aged whiskey are finished in second-use barrels for an additional period of time, ranging from six months to two years, before being bottled. Finishing barrels for this High West whiskey vary from rum or bourbon casks to brandy, gin, scotch, and a variety of wine casks, including Madeira. This secondary barrel-aging process adds a sophisticated layer of complexity and depth of flavor to an American whiskey already known for delicious spice flavors of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg balanced with the richness of woody vanilla and subtly sweet caramel flavor.