High West Rendezvous Barrel Select – like the Double Rye Barrel Select – is an extra aged, higher proofed, single barrel version of a standard HIgh West whiskey. Traditional High West Rendezvous Rye is a blend of a 6-year-old MGP rye and a 16-year-old Barton rye. Current HWRR resembles the 6-year-old more than the 16-year-old as the availability of old rye continues to decrease. But, the Barrel Select process is changing that up a bit.
Drinking the High West Rendezvous Barrel Select reminds me of the single and low double digit releases of the HWRR I drank while living in Utah. It has a richness that’s slowly decreased over years and I believe it’s the extra aging that’s adding more depth to the married spirit. It’s a rye whiskey profile I’ve been searching for and if you’re a rye fan I highly recommend seeing if a local store near you has picked out a barrel!
High West Rendezvous Barrel Select Info
Region: Indiana, USA & Kentucky, USA
Distiller: MGP & Barton
Blender: High West
Blend: 6-Years-Old MGP + 16-Years-Old Barton
Mashbill: MGP = 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley | Barton = 80% Rye, 10% Corn, 10% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak – Finished in ex-Bourbon for 19 months
Age: NAS (technically 7 years)
ABV: 50%
Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color | Single Barrel
Batch: 349-2
Bottle: 61
Price: $75
High West Rendezvous Barrel Select Review
EYE
Amber
NOSE
Complex dilly rye and baking spices (cinnamon, clove, anise, nutmeg…), caramel, wood, toasted grain, leather, waxy licorice and a bit of citrus oil. This is a great aroma and if I hadn’t already snuck a sip I’d be content just sitting here with my nose in a glass.
PALATE
Complex spice that mirrors the nose, a dollop of dark sweets, leather, oak, pepper, waxy red licorice and subtle notes of vanilla, dark fruit and citrus oil. Just awesome.
FINISH
Long and spicy with layers of dark sweets, oak, vanilla, citrus and a bit of mint.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great balance, round full body and a slick oily feel that coats with each sip.
OVERALL
This High West Rendezvous Barrel Select ranks among my favorite bottles of HWRR. I’ve been drinking this stuff since Batch 1 hit the shelves in Salt Lake City and this is like stepping into a time machine. This beautiful, rustic, whiskey takes me back to board games on Sunday, Wednesday night poker, weekend parties and nights spent in A Bar Named Sue. For me it’s warm fuzzy nostalgia in a glass.
If I divorce myself from this wave of nostalgia and focus on what’s happening in the glass I find a whiskey I can’t believe isn’t sought after more. These extra aged, single barrel picks are awesome. The extra 19 months of maturation and marrying of the 6 yr and 16 yr rye whiskies creates magic in every release I’ve tried (3 to-date). If you haven’t tried a High West Rendezvous Barrel Select from a local liquor store or bar I’d recommend tracking one down.
SCORE: 91/100 (A-)
