Name: High West American Prairie Bourbon Finished in a Midwinter Night’s Dram Barrel
Classification: Blend of Straight Bourbons Finished in a Midwinter Night’s Dram Barrel
Company: High West Distillery
Distillery: Blend (MGP and other undisclosed source[s])
Age: 2 Years (Blend of bourbons aged 2 - 13 years) + Finishing Time
Proof: 92
Mashbill: Blend of 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley (from MGP) + 84% Corn, 8% Rye, 8% Malted Barley (from undisclosed source) + Other Undisclosed Mashbill(s)
Yield: 284 Bottles
Release Date: December 2020
We did this pick collaboratively with the folks from Keg N Bottle - each selecting separately then sharing the results. If we agreed, we’d go for it. Out of three options that were very different from one another it wasn’t only unanimous, it was a blowout. One a Ruby Port finish, one a Banyuls finish, and one a Midwinter Night’s Dram finish. We tasted these blind with very little information up front, and it was NO CONTEST. If you enjoy Midwinter Night’s Dram - a rye finished in French Oak port barrels with a heavy wine influence - just imagine layering that deliciousness onto a bourbon backbone with more balance and that’s what this is. The bourbon influence provides more structure, but the wine influence is still prominent. The balance is so much better that even those who find Midwinter Night’s Dram to be overly influenced by wine should find much to love with this pick.
For the sticker we kept this one simple. Playing off the concept of the Antelope featured on the front of the American Prairie bottle, we wanted to highlight the experimental nature of the ex Midwinter Night’s Dram barrel finish. We landed on a simple caution sign that captured all of the elements - the Antelope, the nature of the experimental finishing and the fact that Midwinter Night’s Dram plays off the play, Midwinter Night’s Dream hence the “Playwrite” aspect. Enjoy!
