High West American Prairie
Intro: From High West website:
A complex blend of straight bourbons producing an aromatic whiskey that helps preserve the West.
Review:
When I first got serious about bourbon collecting, being from Kentucky, I started my adventure with a very closed mindset regarding anything distilled anywhere other than the Bluegrass bourbon capital. I approached all other bourbons as inferior....some sort of strange self-fulfilling bourbon prophecy, I suppose. High West was the distillery to open my eyes that my mindset was, well, idiotic. In fact, this distillery ranks a close second in my heart to Buffalo Trace. Like BT, they not only have a large product line with frequent special editions, but their products are pretty much liquid gold.
It is bath time in the Whelan household....with a dynamo of a 4 year old daughter, that means a brief moment where I am not wrestling, playing My Little Pony, or fixing something she decimated in the house. A.K.A...BOURBON REVIEW OPPORTUNITY!!!
This bourbon is a gamble as it claims to be a blend of bourbons aged 2 to 13 years. 2 TO 13!?!? That is a quite the range. I pretty much pass on anything younger than 4 years anymore. At the same time, jump for joy to get anything more mature than 10. Anyhow, the nose on this one is spectacular...hardly any alcohol vapor and a complimentary mix of vanilla and caramel. Either it's the bourbon or the bath bomb my daughter just threw in the tub with her! Another whiff....IT'S THE BOURBON! Now for the taste....of the bourbon, not the bath water!
Hot damn, that is A-O.K.! The heat matches the vapors on the nose, almost non-existent. There is a very subtle warming sensation to the front of the tongue and the throat during the finish. The vanilla is the prevailing flavor and the caramel is hanging out in the distance. The finish is exceptional and the flavor almost extends down the length of the esophagus.
Is it worth the $?
I got this bourbon around $35 and I have since seen it priced around $40. Either way, it is certainly worth it and High West very well may find itself at the top of my list if they keep it up!