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Whisk(e)y Reviews
October 2021
with
High West
Cocktails
High West Double Rye! Cocktails!
A few weeks ago, I received a call from Bill Varnell, one of our founders. He mentioned that I would be receiving some High West Double Rye! to review. Given that we recently reviewed the Double Rye! along with the Rendezvous Rye, we needed a different angle. Since summer is the season of cocktails, and with some inspiration from our own cocktail master, Jim Zadrozny, we decided to try a cocktail review. This won't be a permanent change, just something that might pop up every once in a while. If you have been following my reviews, you will have noticed that I like to taste things side--by--side. In this case, we are doing the same, but today we are reviewing four cocktails, the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Boulevardier, and a Grand Old Fashioned. You have likely heard of three of these, but the Grand Old Fashioned is probably new unless you live near me and frequent one of my favorite restaurants.
The more interesting part of this is that I am not a big cocktail drinker. Like many whiskey snobs, I tend to drink my whiskey neat. I am also not a big fan of Vermouth which tends to be a component in several standard cocktails. Obviously, I started this review process with a bit of trepidation, but I decided that this is a fun experiment for myself and for my dear readers. And if you are a fan of cocktails, remember to read this month's cocktail from Jimmy Z! All of these cocktails were made with High West Double Rye! as the included whiskey.
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High West Double Rye!
Class: Blend of Straight Rye Whiskey
Price: $35 -- $40
Notes:
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No Age Statement (aged 4 to 9 years)
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Bottled by High West Distillery, Park City, Utah
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Mashbill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley from MGP, 80% rye, 20% malted rye from High West Distillery
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Bottled at 46% ABV (92 proof)
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Not chill filtered
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Batch 19G26
Old Fashioned
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Ingredients
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1 sugar cube (simple syrup can be substituted)
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3 dashes aromatic bitters (typically Angostura)
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2 ounces of rye whiskey
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Orange peel for garnish
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Maraschino cherry for garnish (preferably something like Luxardo)
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Typically served over ice
Nose: 78/100
Cloves and oranges dominate. Rye spice lingers in the background.
Palate: 84/100
Cloves, rye spice, and oranges mingle nicely. The bitters become more prominent here. Just a touch of honey sweetness.
Finish: 80/100
Very light finish. Oranges, cloves, and bitters lead. Rye spice is only in the background. Barely any sweetness.
Overall: 81/100
Recommendation: Must Try!
The Old Fashioned is a classic cocktail for a reason. It is very easy to make and it is generally delicious. In this case, the Double Rye! does fair well, but isn't quite bold enough to make this an amazing cocktail. If this were closer to 100 proof, that could put it over the edge.
Manhattan
Ingredients
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2 ounces rye whiskey
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1 ounce sweet vermouth
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3 dashes aromatic bitters
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Maraschino cherry for garnish (preferably something like Luxardo)
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Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, stir well, and strain into a cocktail glass
Nose: 72/100
The funk from the Vermouth basically overpowers everything. Just a touch of aroma from the bitters.
Palate: 78/100
Funk and honey sweetness lead the way. Just a touch of bitter cherry in the background.
Finish: 78/100
Bitter cherry and funk are the stars. There is some underlying sweetness.
Overall: 76/100
Recommendation: Worth buying a pour.
As I mentioned, the Vermouth really overpowers the whiskey. Because a Manhattan has so few ingredients, you might want to change the ratio of Rye and Vermouth. If I make a Manhattan for myself, I would go as low as 0.5oz of Vermouth for a Rye like the Double Rye. This is definitely a spot where a high proof Rye would be a good choice.
Boulevardier
Ingredients
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1 ounce rye whiskey
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1 ounce Campari
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1 ounce sweet vermouth
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Orange twist or maraschino cherry for garnish
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Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, stir well, and strain into a cocktail glass
Nose: 80/100
Oranges, lemons, and sweet cherries, oh my! Really a pleasant dance of sweet fruits but not overly sweet.
Palate: 82/100
Oranges and bitter cherries lead the way. A bit of funk sits beneath everything. Still fairly sweet though.
Finish: 80/100
Lightly fruity and sweet finish as oranges and cherries are a bit muddled. Bitter orange lingers in the background and sticks around for a while.
Overall: 81/100
Recommendation: Must try!
This was my first Boulevardier and I must admit, I now have a great use for my Vermouth. The bitterness of the Campari really offsets the funk of the Vermouth and makes everything seem more complete. While the rye gets overpowered with the inclusion of both the Campari and Vermouth, you can tell there is rye in the foundations. This was really a surprise and I highly recommend giving the Boulevardier a try.
Grand Old Fashioned
Ingredients
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1 sugar cube (simple syrup can be substituted)
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3 dashes aromatic bitters (typically Angostura)
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2 ounces of rye whiskey
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1 ounce Grand Marnier
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Orange slice
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Maraschino cherry (preferably something like Luxardo) and a dash of the cherry juice
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Served over ice, with the orange and cherry in the drink. For extra fruity sweetness, muddle the orange and cherry along with the sugar, just don't tell me you did that :)
Nose: 82/100
Oranges and rye spice star here. Just a touch of cloves in the background.
Palate: 86/100
Oranges, rye spice, honey, and cherries all mingle nicely. Cloves again sit in the background.
Finish: 80/100
Light finish. Oranges and cherries dominate. Rye spice stays in the background.
Overall: 84/100
Recommendation: Must try!
For whatever reason, the Grand Marnier seems to complement the Rye very well, almost enhancing it. While this is a little sweeter, it is not cloyingly sweet. This is an excellent cocktail during brunch, and is something that I order regularly with Eggs Benedict. It pairs very well with any savory meal though the fruitiness does not stand up to something as heavy as steak. Seriously though, try this if you get the chance.
What did we learn?
First, I learned that including an orange peel garnish tends to overwhelm any nosing experience. While the scent of orange is delightful, I had to remove the garnish to get any real notes. Once I removed the orange peel, I realized that High West Double Rye! does make very good cocktails. I do recommend it in an Old Fashioned and the Grand Old Fashioned. It also fared well in the Boulevardier, but given the ingredients, I would probably try a bolder Rye. That being said, the Boulevardier will quickly become one of my favorite cocktails.
I will admit that Vermouth has always been difficult for me to enjoy in cocktails, as you can see in the Manhattan review. However, seeing how the Campari balanced things and helped the Rye get more attention just goes to show you how things can complement each other in a cocktail. I know many people mainly drink their whiskey neat, myself included, but hopefully this helps you branch out a little bit and try something new.