I picked up this High West Bourye 2015 Release early last year and kept meaning to do a SBS between it and the original Bourye batch 2 I have, but just never got around to it. Then the good folks at High West reached out and sent me a bottle of the 2017 batch (reviewing tomorrow) at which point I had no choice but to setup a good old fashioned taste off.
In High West’s Words: High West Bourye 2015 Release
“Bourye is a combination of “Bou” for bourbon and “rye” for..well, rye whiskey. Because combining bourbon and rye is a bit unusual, we couldn’t help thinking of the jackalope. Honestly, we didn’t think anyone would like the name!
The jackalope, also called an antelabbit, is an antlered species of rabbit, a cross between a jack rabbit and an antelope. It is rumored that pockets of jackalope populations continue to persist in the American West, its native home. In the old West, when cowboys would gather by their campfires to sing at night, jackalopes would frequently be heard singing back, mimicking the voices of the cowboys. When chased, the jackalope will use its vocal abilities to elude capture.
For instance, when chased by people it will call out phrases such as, “There he goes, over there,” in order to throw pursuers off its track. Legend suggests the best way to catch a jackalope is to lure it with whiskey, as they have a particular fondness for this drink.
Once intoxicated, the animal becomes slower and easier to hunt (believe it or not, all this mythology is true, we didn’t make any of this up). That’s why High West created Bourye®, our proprietary blend of mature Bourbon and Rye, both favorites of real cowboys and sure to attract even the most finicky of jackalopes.”
If you’re wondering how I know this is the 2015 release, besides it missing the “limited release” stamp the 2016 label carries, I can show you. The bottle carries the code 14L16 which is Year / Month / Day which means this was bottled on the 16th of December, 2014 (L is the 12th letter of the alphabet). As always High West kills it with transparency, I wish all bottling codes were this simple. Anyways, on to the High West Bourye 2015 Release review!
High West Bourye 2015 Release Info
Region: Utah, USA
Distiller: MGP
Blender: High West
Mashbill: 3 Ryes and 1 Bourbon
- 9-year-old straight bourbon (mash bill: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt) Source: MGP/LDI/Seagrams, Indiana
- 10-year-old straight rye (mash bill: 95% rye, 5% barley malt) Source: MGP/LDI/Seagrams, Indiana
- 16-year-old straight rye (mash bill: 95% rye, 5% barley malt) Source: MGP/LDI/Seagrams, Indiana
- 16-year-old straight rye (mash bill: 80% rye, 10% corn, 10% malt) Source: Barton Distillery
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 9 Years
ABV: 46%
Non-Chill Filtered
Batch: 14L16
Price: NA – Auction, Specialty Store or Private Seller
High West Bourye 2015 Release Review
EYE
Varnished oak
NOSE
Dark fruit, vanilla, caramel, dark sweets, mint, oak, cinnamon and a light bit of orchard fruit and nuts. It’s dynamic and lovely.
PALATE
Oak, dark fruit heavy with dried cherries, spice, vanilla, caramel heavy dark sweets and light bit of citrus and nuts. There’s weight and depth to the flavor, it’s truly awesome.
FINISH
Long fade of oak, caramel, vanilla and spice.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Well balanced, full body and a slick oily feel.
OVERALL
High West Bourye 2015 Release is a great attempt at recreating the original. It’s Not quite there, but there’s a similar fingerprint on the whiskey and a familiar feeling throughout. The aroma is rich and well composed as are the palate and finish. Because it’s such a perfect daily drinker I keep in stock as often as I can now that they’ve been re-releasing them.
While the era of whiskey that produced the original Bourye won’t likely be repeated again due to it’s popularity it’s awesome to see High West making solid attempts to catch that lightning again. That’s one of the things I really like about HW, when they put out a follow-up to something, like this High West Bourye 2015 Release, it’s not a half hearted attempt. They dig as deep as they can to put out something great.
SCORE: 92/100 (A-)
