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Release Notes
The main flavor (or melody) is sweet honey from a ripe bourbon. The enhancing flavor (or harmony) is floral fruity spice from a mature rye whiskey. The accent (Satchmo's gravelly voice!) is the smoke from a peated scotch whisky. The proportions? Top secret. So...as the sun sinks low and the cold settles in, grab a bottle of CAMPFIRE WHISKEY(tm) and gather round a blazing fire to warm up, wind down your day, share stories, and deepen friendships. One taste of this sweet, spicy and, yes...smoky whiskey, you'll know how it got its name.
High West
Sweet: A straight bourbon whiskey from 75 percent corn, 20 percent rye, and 5 percent barley malt.
Spicy and floral: A straight rye whiskey from 95 percent rye and 5 percent barley malt.
Smoky: A blended malt Scotch whiskey, made of 100-percent barley malt that has been peated.
Age of the whiskies: all are 5 years or older.
Source of the whiskies? The bourbon and rye are from the old Seagrams plant in Indiana.
Proportions of the component whiskies? Top secret!
High West
3rd Party Tasting Notes
Nose: Floral, fruity, bright and spicy. Caramel and butterscotch. Light smoke and smoldering wood from a campfire the morning after. Jasmine, chai tea, sandalwood, leather, tobacco, pine resin and toasted bread.
Taste: vanilla, honey, toffee with some nice fruit, blueberries and black cherries. Chai spices - nutmeg, cinnamon and orange zest. Salty caramels. Tobacco. Gentle smoke!
Finish - Long, sweet, spicy, and smoky!
Taste: vanilla, honey, toffee with some nice fruit, blueberries and black cherries. Chai spices - nutmeg, cinnamon and orange zest. Salty caramels. Tobacco. Gentle smoke!
Finish - Long, sweet, spicy, and smoky!
High West
Color: Deep Golden/Amber
Nose: Bright and fruity up front with a tang of honey, golden dried fruits (apricot, apple, peach), hints of cinnamon, toffee, and only a lingering peat smoke note. The peat is faint as a whisper on the nose, but very much threaded throughout.
Palate: The bourbon and rye influence is felt first, balancing honey, dried golden fruits, and vanilla with a spark of the rye spices. There's a bit more "zip" in the spice quotient on the palate. As these flavors fade, the smoke and peat adds a great deal of interest and needed complexity.
Finish: Quite fruity with lingering peat and a smoky quality.
Overall: Leave it to a bunch of whiskey outlaws in Utah to spit in the eye of conventional whiskey blending. The result is without question one of the most groundbreaking whiskeys of recent years. Overly dramatic? I don't think so. High West has managed to "mingle" (Jim Rutledge term) global whiskeys into something that stands on it's own. It's not overly complex, but it works well together. I know what you may be thinking. This is a gimmick right? No, it's not. Rather than be heavy handed with the peat, High West has shown a great deal of restraint with Campfire. The result is a whiskey that is livened up and made far more interesting with a kiss of peat. Unlike the name implies - there's no fire here, just great whiskey.
Nose: Bright and fruity up front with a tang of honey, golden dried fruits (apricot, apple, peach), hints of cinnamon, toffee, and only a lingering peat smoke note. The peat is faint as a whisper on the nose, but very much threaded throughout.
Palate: The bourbon and rye influence is felt first, balancing honey, dried golden fruits, and vanilla with a spark of the rye spices. There's a bit more "zip" in the spice quotient on the palate. As these flavors fade, the smoke and peat adds a great deal of interest and needed complexity.
Finish: Quite fruity with lingering peat and a smoky quality.
Overall: Leave it to a bunch of whiskey outlaws in Utah to spit in the eye of conventional whiskey blending. The result is without question one of the most groundbreaking whiskeys of recent years. Overly dramatic? I don't think so. High West has managed to "mingle" (Jim Rutledge term) global whiskeys into something that stands on it's own. It's not overly complex, but it works well together. I know what you may be thinking. This is a gimmick right? No, it's not. Rather than be heavy handed with the peat, High West has shown a great deal of restraint with Campfire. The result is a whiskey that is livened up and made far more interesting with a kiss of peat. Unlike the name implies - there's no fire here, just great whiskey.
Sourmash Manifesto
N: Nice sweetness, very smooth corn notes, mellow toffee, a touch of maple syrup. Light rye floral notes and a nice but not overwhelming dose of smoke. Slightly organic with a wooden tone to it. Traces of black cherry.
P: Warming initially, with some weight to the mouthfeel but not oily. Slightly earthy early, then showing a nice corn and maple syrup presence, a bit of cinnamon and black pepper to heat things up. Lightly earthy notes continue, a fint trace of wood at moments, and a bit of black cherry and vanilla. There's a bit of smoke on the roof of the mouth.
F: Sweet with caramel and some lingering black cherry and vanilla creaminess. A nice dose of smoke on the exhale, slightly organic and earthy.
The name might suggest a smoke bomb, but it's not. It's got enough to add a very unexpected dimension, but it's not immediately identifiable as peated scotch, and I think it works in this. It's a nice mix of sweet and smoky, but with enough rye in the mix to keep it interesting.
Rating: B+
P: Warming initially, with some weight to the mouthfeel but not oily. Slightly earthy early, then showing a nice corn and maple syrup presence, a bit of cinnamon and black pepper to heat things up. Lightly earthy notes continue, a fint trace of wood at moments, and a bit of black cherry and vanilla. There's a bit of smoke on the roof of the mouth.
F: Sweet with caramel and some lingering black cherry and vanilla creaminess. A nice dose of smoke on the exhale, slightly organic and earthy.
The name might suggest a smoke bomb, but it's not. It's got enough to add a very unexpected dimension, but it's not immediately identifiable as peated scotch, and I think it works in this. It's a nice mix of sweet and smoky, but with enough rye in the mix to keep it interesting.
Rating: B+
Tim, LA Whisky Society
On the nose I first get a whiff of chimney smoke, then a generous dose of rye spice. The smoke and spice go back and forth making for a nice combination that's somewhat reminiscent of cigar smoke. On the palate that same interplay takes place. Smoke and spice are definitely the most prominent notes but late palate a sweetness comes in as well, as if the bourbon is fighting for its place in the blend. In subsequent sips I'm getting something different each time. There will be a sip with more prominent rye, one with more prominent smoke, all with the underlying sweetness. The finish has some dry smoke (like...a campfire) on the nose and some smoky spice on the palate.
This is a fascinating and totally unique whiskey.
Rating: B+
This is a fascinating and totally unique whiskey.
Rating: B+
Sku, LA Whisky Society
The Distillery: High West
| Established: 2008 |
| Silent since: False |
| Address: 703 Park Ave, Park City, UT 84060, USA |
| → website |
High West Distillery and Saloon started with one man"s passion to make a great Rocky Mountain Whiskey. Proprietor and distiller David Perkins married his background as a biochemist, his love of bourbon and cooking, and his passion for the American West to bring the craft of small-batch distilling back to Utah, of all places.
High West Distillery and Saloon opened in mid 2008.
The distillery is operating out of their warehouse space in Salt Lake City, Utah until renovation and restoration of their permanent location, an old livery stable dubbed "The National Garage" and a turn-on-the century home next to the garage in Park City, is complete in early summer of 2009. Once completed, the company claims theirs will be the world"s only "ski-in" distillery. A bar will be attached to the distillery as well as a full service restaurant.
High West makes its spirits in small batches in a copper pot still. While more expensive than continuous stills found in larger operations, it does allow for more hands-on control by the distiller. High West uses a combination still, which allows for both use as either a continuous/reflux still or separately a pot still...this allows for a variety of unique distillates to be produced. High West Distillery has a commitment to small batch mountain crafted spirits.
High West Distillery is a manufacturer of distilled spirits located in Park City, Utah. It is the first legally-licensed distillery in the state since the end of Prohibition.
from Wikipedia, HighWest.com