High West American Prairie Bourbon Barrel Select

Taste: Neat 2 oz in glen cairn, fresh bottle. This is Binny's barrel 12118 and bottle 173. Finished 1yr 4 months in brandy cask. Proof is 103.6 Nose (3.5): Butterscotch candy dominates. There is some lighter oak and ethanol that quickly gives way to red fruit. It is not the most complex but just enough to be different. Very straight forward and pleasing. Palate: (4.0) starts a bit sweeter with the brandy up front. Reminds me of my grandma's candy bowl--- good memories of gold butterscotch candy and caramel creams. Ripe red fruits come in and then a peppery hit surprises. Palate is more complex than the nose. This is interesting. Finish: (3.75) longer than I expected. A bit drying. Newer oak. When the pepper and oak fade you get just a bit of honey to close it out. Overall: This is interesting. Combining what feels to me like a more rye foward whiskey with the sweetness and richness of brandy is a hit. I like what is in this bottle! For 39.99 it will make you ask-- why have we not finished whiskey in brandy casks like this more often? It was on par with the newer releases of MWND ( post act 6) for me for half the price. Not as full and rich but definately digestif. If price were determining factor this is a 4. I try to judge the juice but you cannot ignore what this is at its extremely low price point. A single barrel finished pick for under 40???? You be the judge

Next up on my High West series is their American Prairie that was finished in brandy casks and bottled at 51% ABV. The nose starts with a mix of light sour lemon, grape must and pipe tobacco then dark chocolate covered almonds followed by pears, prunes and peach ring candy that transitions to mild earthy notes of leather and dusty oak with light ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with creamy fruits that then veers towards a mild bitter spice that slowly fades to grape juice and pipe tobacco then dark chocolate covered toasted marshmallow followed by baked pears, apples and orange zest that transitions to black pepper, leather and mild bitter black tea with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with dark chocolate, espresso, freeze dried apples, raisins, ginger and a mild bitter oak spice. This is a very enjoyable dram that manages to enhance those typical bourbon flavors with the brandy finish adding some extra complexity, but the balance is slightly off with some mild bitterness on the palate and finish. These appear to cost under $40 which is a fantastic price for a tasty bourbon with some brandy notes that would be a great one to have around for a daily drinker. I'm not sure how @soonershrink manages to find all these great value picks, but a huge thank you for sharing this one with me.

Neat. Sample. 101 proof finished in Armagnac casks. The year of Armagnac continues! Bardstown, Cigar Blend. It may be my favorite finishing now. First time with this High West. I really just love the smell of Armagnac. First impression is that it is dominating this Whiskey. It’s all I am getting initially. Butterscotch and toffee as I dig deeper. Really nice dark maple. Some strawberry as well. Solid. Subtle but crisp and inviting. Syrupy mouth feel. Thick and oily. Maple sweetness entered first but those strawberries come out immediately as well. Butterscotch and Armagnac come punching. Butterscotch really hangs on the finish and legs. Toffee coming out as well. There is a sudden and unexpected blast of vanilla mid palate. It’s interesting because it’s a pretty medium to dark whiskey but then you get this sudden vanilla spike mid palate and then it comes crashing back down for the finish. The Armagnac is really building on the legs too, lasts far longer than you may imply from the proof. This is not on the same level on Bardstown or Cigar Blend but for its price point this is a great finished Whiskey. Perfect if I was craving Armagnac but didn’t feel it was a special pour kind of night. I would buy this if given the chance.

Neat. Sample. Finished 1.5 years in Armagnac barrels. Honestly I never heard of Armagnac before 2020 and now I can’t escape it! Bardstown blew my mind a month ago and now I find Armagnac finishes in other brands. This is so rich and dense on the nose. A deep, heavy glaze like a reduction or even and ice wine. The Armagnac influence is so strong and in your face. Equally amazing and off putting in a strange way. Next to the glaze is this heavy plum from the finish. As you dig, the familiar caramels and even butterscotch emerge with an enticing sweetness. Texture is rich and oily just as the nose eluded. It’s heavy and dark on the tongue with a sweet stone fruit. Oh but it brightens up in a hurry and really packs a punch. Orange peel sourness transitions to vanilla and caramels. But the caramels accelerate into rock candy sweetness. A surprising amount of oak remains on the legs. Couples with cherry cola. I’m all over the place on this one. Ran out of the sample trying to pick apart this ride. Really like Armagnac finishes. I’d buy this one if I ever found it.

51% ABV, secondary aging in Brandy barrels. I've had the regular American Prairie, which I thought was an average to slightly above average bourbon. This was 34$, so I thought worth a flier. There was also a Double Rye Barrel Select with secondary aging in Grenache barrels, which I passed on. I had a pour of this next to the MWND and the MW is definitely the superior whiskey - the balance of deep dark fruit with the herbal rye is really nice, but this is a satisfying pour on it's own, and especially so at about 40% of the cost of the MW. There is some Brandy coming through on the nose along with pear, with underlying bourbon vanilla/caramel, but the palate opens up with juicy pear before transitioning to some rye-spiced bourbony finish. The finish concludes with a little bitter note as a reminder that the underlying bourbon is fairly average, but overall I'm pretty pleased with this, and especially so at the price.

(2021 Release) A bold, Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey by David & Jane Perkins founders of High West Distillery in Park City, Utah. It is aged in new, white American oak; then finished in a peated whiskey cask & bottled at 100 proof. It is dedicated to the American Prairie Reserve's mission to preserve the nature and wildlife in the American West. It has an aromatic birth with notes of grain, fruit, wood, earth, smoke & spices; while a rich & complex life adds notes of corn bread, honey, vanilla, caramel apple, nougat, peat, cherry & brown sugar; that led to a balanced death of medium length with notes of candy corn, toasted oak, sea spray, camphor & peat smoke. December 2021 / August 2022