Midwinters Night Dram
Intro:
Greetings good gentles and ladies. At High West, we consider whiskey an indispensable part of making it through the long cold winter. One taste of A Midwinter Night’s Dram alongside a cozy fire will surely transport you to a dreamlike state. This limited release whiskey is a sumptuous marriage of our Rendezvous Rye finished in both port and French oak barrels. The rye forms a beautiful base of vanilla, caramel and cinnamon; the port barrels enhance with plums and dried fruits; the French oak provides a spice accent. For us, A Midwinter Night’s Dram tastes like a proper Christmas plum pudding with lovely mulling spices, dried fruits, and crème anglaise.
Straight Rye Whiskey: 95% rye, 5% barley malt from MGP; 53% rye, 37% corn, 10% barley malt from Barton Distillery; 80% rye, 10% corn, 10% barley malt from Barton Distillery.
Aged in new, charred, white American oak and finished in French oak port barrels
Review:
Oh man, this is such an amazing whiskey.
The Rub...
Very subtle, nothing over the top, I do have a slight nose burn but I think that is from trying to get into the smell before it is gone. It's hard to keep on your hands for very long, and then when it is gone you get the strong notes from great rye, the grain, the barrel, the cinnamon, some sweetness like vanilla and chocolate.
The Nose...
I touch on the alcohol vapor side, again like the rub, hard to pick out notes. There is a smell that I cannot place. Vanilla, and barrel.
The first sip...
No burn on the lips or the tongue so far...20 seconds in, there is the tip of the tongue burn and now the roof of the mouth. No heat on the swallow, a little heat in the chest, like you can feel it go down. The flavor is out of this world. It doesn't taste like anything else on the market. It's not spicy or over the top in any category. It's sweet. Second sip... It has an old candy flavor, like if you found old candy and ate it, but it's not offensive at all. It's weird. It is amazing and one of my favorites. High West has it's shit together and is top 3 in all distilleries in America right now. What the hell is that flavor? I cannot put my finger one it. Well, you won't be disappointed if you buy this one! Third sip...this time a big sip...more burn than before and heat through the chest. Still a great drink, vanilla is coming through.
Is it worth the $?
I have 4 of these, so yeah I guess at $89 a pop I think they are worth it. I hate to say it but it's that good. Again, my all time favorite is 15 year Pappy, this one is almost in that category, actually it is in that category just side stepped a little.
Score: 97%