High West Double Rye Single Cask Pick Syrah Finish
High West Double Rye Single Cask Pick Syrah Finish
Single Cask chosen for Citi Wine and Spirits
High West Distillery, MGP and High West Distillate
Cask #15804, Bottle 258
51.8% ABV/103.6 Proof
Eye: Golden amber, no rims and droplets coating the glass.
Nose: Tons of caraway and rye dough. The nose is dense and I love it. No sign of the Syrah at first. Second round opens the wine to the nose, now with the caraway missing. This keeps evolving as you sniff and with air.
Palate: The Syrah is front and center here, playing well with the caraway, star anise, and drying oak. Hints of mint in the background blend and develop further, evolving into a big bold red wine flavor. Really intriguing. Mouthfeel is rich, drying, and here the Syrah shines the most, getting into every corner of the mouth.
Finish: Finish is where the Syrah continues to shine, but it also is in sync with the rye flavors from the young minty rye to the mature caraway and rich rye, and it is truly excellent.
Overall: This is a fantastic example of a finished rye. The Syrah is a great counterpoint to rye flavors to begin with, and the big bold flavors elevate each other up and up.
Rating: 7.8
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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