High West Midwinter Night’s Dram
American Rye - Act 12 Scene 3 Edition | 49.3% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Scored as tasted; many would deduct at the asking price
Myth Versus Reality
There are a few labels in the American whiskey scene that have legend and lore such that a mere utterance of their name evokes instant raised eyebrows and an involuntary muscle reaction to reach for one’s wallet.
Stagg. 13th Colony. King of Kentucky. Westland’s Garryana. Pappy Van Winkle. Colkegan. Cedar Ridge’s QuintEssential. There are others, for sure, but these, I feel, are the labels that are at the top of the involuntary eyebrow reflex when mentioned in American whiskey company.
Notice that the aforementioned brief list is composed of bourbons and American single malts. But there is one other, obvious label that I withheld. That bottle is, what I believe to be, the one rye that has been a fixed star in the American whiskey firmament.
That omitted rye is released as an annual expression. It also comes with a premium price tag. And, it brings anticipation based upon prior glowing reviews. Not all batches/releases have been universally lauded themselves, but overall the expressions have been the subject of raves and glowing approval.
However, because it is released on a limited basis, and also comes with a heightened price tag, it is a bottle that is not always seen or purchased. Perhaps that lends to its legend and lore status.
I have seen it intermittently on shelves back when I lived in Connecticut. However, I never did purchase a bottle. Plain and simple, it was cost prohibitive. As an example, I found a photo on my phone from January of 2022. I had gone to a local liquor store to do some reconnaissance for a bottle share with my whisky club. You will note that the posted price on the bottle in question was then $299.99 USD. To me, crazy beyond words. Not surprisingly, the club opted for other expressions.
And so, for me, the bottle has remained in legend and lore status, and until this past weekend, I have never sampled a drop of this expression. Then, my brother-from-another-mother, Lou, (of Rare Breed review fame) and his wonderful wife arrived at the Shaw household.
Lou had made official his retirement as a prosecutor after thirty years in the criminal court trenches. With that, he and his bride sold their Connecticut house and purchased a new home in Florida. After they packed up their residence, he called to ask if he and his wife could make a pit stop here on their way as they drove down to Florida. While I appreciated the call and request, it was purely courtesy and good form; it was not needed – the door is always open to Lou and his better half. My wife and I were ecstatic to host them on their sojourn south.
When Lou and his wife arrived, it was a tonic beyond tonics. It so happened that I was walking the dog around the block when I saw their car turn into our loop. He drove past our house - to where I was walking. He was gesticulating through the car window and flashing his lights. I was waving and making my own absurd gesticulations, making the dog wonder what was going on. Hoots and howls, trying to hug each other through the car’s window, and we didn’t care one iota what the neighbors thought as they may have looked through their windows. Lou turned the car around and headed back to our driveway.
“Dude!!! My brother!” Lou shouted as he extricated himself from the car with arms outstretched. We embraced, laughed, hugged again, and revelled in the fact that we were together again.
“You’d think he missed you…” his wife said as she watched the reunion spectacle and came for her own hug. Mrs. Shaw came out of the house and there were embraces all around with much happiness and revelry. Bags were brought in, and then Lou snapped his fingers as, clearly, he remembered something. As he turned and headed back for the door he said, “brother, I come bringing gifts and things to drink!”
He ambled out of the house and returned with three bottles under his arms. One was the latest Booker’s release, one was the Sinatra edition from Jack Daniels (and its ostentatious packaging), and then there was a skinny bottle under his left arm that I seemed to recognize but could not believe to see here in my house.
It was the legend and lore.
Review
High West, A Midwinter Night’s Dram, Act 12, Scene 3, 49.3% ABV
Between USD$150 - 225, $170 paid (~£132)
A Midwinter Night’s Dram is a rye whiskey expression from High West Distillery. While High West, from the State of Utah, distills bourbons and ryes, the liquid in this bottle is not all High West distillate. Their Midwinter Night’s Dram is a blend of ryes.
Unlike that which is regularly heard of in Scotland with single malts, in the States it is not uncommon for newer distilleries to source whiskey made by other producers. And, as a natural segue, High West sources rye whiskey for their Midwinter Night’s Dram.
I believe the largest distillery in the United States that creates distillate for others is MGP (Midwest Grain Products). MGP is located in the State of Indiana, and when you examine a bourbon or rye label and see that the whiskey in the bottle was distilled in whole, or in part, from Indiana that is a very good indication that MGP distillate is present.
Aside from other products, I note from the internet that MGP creates bourbons and ryes for many expressions including Yellowstone, Barrel Craft, Penelope, Pinhook, Nulu, Belle Meade, Joseph A. Magnus, and Blood Oath (to name but a few). And, as noted, along with the aforementioned labels, High West is also a label that sources whiskey from MGP.
For its Midwinter Night’s Dram, I understand that the bottle is a blend of two ryes. The first is a Rendezvous rye from MGP, with a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, which is blended with High West’s own rye distilled in Utah. The High West rye mashbill is 80% rye and 20% malted barley; and making this expression something special is the fact that the whiskey is aged in ruby and tawny port casks. Despite being able to ascertain the provenance of the liquid, the mash bills, and information regarding the type of casks used, I was not able to find firm data regarding the age of the liquid, nor the ratio of the MGP whisky versus the High West whisky.
A Midwinter Night’s Dram is now in its twelfth iteration (hence the twelfth act). When it first hit the market, to my understanding, it was a sensation as there were very few – if any – port cask-aged rye expressions. As such, the legend and the lore grew over the years. With that background, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to finally try this after years reading and watching the hype.
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Scored as tasted; many would deduct at the asking price
Nose
Maraschino cherry liquid and a touch of spearmint. Clove and black pepper. Pine sap and cloves. Herbal and grassy. Touch of dill in the background. Some citrus pith. Slight waft of Christmas cookies. After walking away from the glass and coming back to it ten minutes later, I also found dates and a freshly baked cinnamon roll with vanilla icing. Stewed plums. Quite inviting.
Palate
A complex rye palate. There is a dichotomy here. On the one hand I have the herbal rye qualities of pepper and dill. A touch of menthol comes forward after swallowing and breathing in. On the other side of the coin, playing a lovely foil, is the deep and rich fruit compote aspect. Plums and cranberries; mulled wine with cinnamon sticks. Cloves. Cherry liqueur. Jammy. As with the nose, coming back to the dram after ten minutes revealed a bit more. I got a brief taste of brandy-soaked vanilla cake. A touch of evergreen and oak. Rich. From there, the finish builds with a peppery prickle laced with dill, pine, some dark chocolate, a touch of menthol, and a slight touch of cherry cola.
The dram is quite nice. The rye whiskey notes are here, as are the notes from the port barrels. Well balanced.
The Dregs
A rant of exasperation is forthcoming, but I first must make clear that this whiskey is quite good.
That said, this expression is the poster child for the price element debate on scoring here at Dramface. As you may have heard in the Colonials Podcast Episode #3, there have been discussions about whether or not we reviewers should factor price in the scoring. While, ultimately, I have come down on the side of scoring purely on the whiskey in the glass, if ever there was a whiskey that would tempt me to reduce a score based on price to purchase the bottle, this would be the one.
As noted in the Colonials podcast, this is one of the many reasons why the long-form review that we employ here at Dramface is so useful.
There is no doubt that the nose is lovely. There is no doubt that the liquid rolling over my tongue is very good, indeed. However, barring the fact that my brother Lou splurged and gifted me this bottle, I would still be passing by this bottle if and when I happen across it in the wild. The price, to me, is prohibitive. The price today, in my area, is $170.00 USD. An internet search shows the price ranging from $150.00 USD to $225.00 USD.
Of course, price – as is taste – is relative. A person whose income/assets are significantly greater than mine might not wince at the price. Similarly, someone who prioritizes buying whiskey as their primary use for disposable income may do the same. I fault neither group. As Mike said in the podcast, far be it for me to tell someone else how, if, or when he/she would spend their money.
While I would not be presumptuous to tell people how or when to spend their money, I would also venture a guess to say that, (absent one of those two aforementioned classes of persons), the price tag for this whiskey will make many or most people turn away and seek other expressions.
Adding to this there is now healthy competition. When A Midwinter Night’s Dram first appeared on the scene in 2013, I am of the understanding that there were not many port-finished ryes nor other similarly finished ryes on the market. Now, however, there are other port-finished ryes that are available and quite good. Whereas this bottle may have been a trailblazer, it is now not alone.
Sagamore Spirits, for example, released a port-finished rye in 2019 that was also quite good (from memory of a tasting of some moons ago). It remains available on the Sagamore website in its “Reserve Series” and is literally half the price of this Midwinter Night’s Dram.
Also, I understand from buddies who love ryes that the recent releases from Milam & Greene’s port finished rye and New Riff’s 6 year old sherry cask finished malted rye would give A Midwinter Night’s Dram a run for its money for a wonderfully rich, spiced, and fruity rye experience. And, both the Milam & Greene and the New Riff, again, are at least half the price of the bottle before me today.
I have heard that in recent years the Midwinter Night’s Dram expressions have suffered from relying on too much cask influence that masked the underlying spirit. I cannot speak to the last few years of releases, but speaking specifically as to Act 12, Scene 3, this is a beautifully balanced dram. The port casks are noticeable, but do not overwhelm or dominate. The rye whiskies are able to shine through.
As an additional plus, the rye blends that have been employed here are without corn in their mash bills, and it comes through on the palate. Maybe it is the single malt fan in me that senses and appreciates the fullness and rounding aspect of malted barley in a rye expression without the sweetness of corn running interference. The blend of the Rendezvous and the High West rye whiskies is full, rounded, and flavorful. High marks noted for this.
If you can get over the not insignificant concern with the price, no doubt the liquid in my glass is, as said, very good. I am not sure if the pricing here is materially attributable to the distillery, market conditions, the distributor, or whatever. All I know is that the price – to me – appears to be (and has been) significantly out of whack with what a consumer is ultimately purchasing.
This is not your typical rye. Whether a Maryland rye, a Monongahela rye, or a Canadian rye, many have a particular mindset of what rye whiskey must taste like. The use of port casks made this expression a legend as it broke that traditional rye mold back in the day. The port casks impart a complementary spice-and-fruit experience, often said as rye with an overlay of Christmas pudding, providing complimentary levels of flavor so that the rye is not a one-trick, dill-pickle pony. This was, and continues to be, a delicious rye whiskey expression. Whether it is a recommended bottle, having outlined significant caveats and alternate expressions above, I leave it to each person’s own decision… and their wallets.
I continue to be humbled and appreciative of my brother, Lou, for his love, heart, and generosity. Yes, whiskey is for sharing… but this went above and beyond. With that, I am raising my glass to Lou as I type this.
Cheers to friends, family, big hearts, and good whiskey - that doesn’t break the bank.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. OS
-
Dramface is free.
Its fierce independence and community-focused content is funded by that same community. We don’t do ads, sponsorships or paid-for content. If you like what we do you can support us by becoming a Dramface member for the price of a magazine.
However, if you’ve found a particular article valuable, you also have the option to make a direct donation to the writer, here: buy me a dram - you’d make their day. Thank you.
For more on Dramface and our funding read our about page here.
