High West Spotlights Own Distillate For Its First Bonded Whiskey
February 21, 2024 –––––– Danny Brandon
Blending has been a key part of High West’s identity since its start in 2006, when founder David Perkins set his sights on producing a rye whiskey. To accomplish this, he reportedly spent $200,000 on aged rye barrels from MGP and Barton 1792 Distillery to be used for blending. The resulting blends catapulted High West to the pinnacle of the craft distilling world.
High West rose to prominence using sourced whiskey and skilled, creative blending. Its home base in Park City, Utah had a small still, but it was far too small to service the growing company’s needs. In 2015, High West opened a full-fledged distillery at Blue Sky Ranch in Wanship, Utah. By 2018 it had made changes to its Double Rye recipe, replacing the 16 year old Barton component with its own distillate, which was much younger. And now, nearly two decades after its founding, High West has put its distillate in the spotlight with its first bonded rye.
High West Bottled in Bond Rye was created by distilling manager Isaac Winter as a way of showcasing the distillery’s capabilities. It was distilled entirely from rye—20% malted and 80% unmalted—nearly all of which is a hybrid strain called Guittino. The whiskey was distilled at the Wanship distillery during the latter half of 2018 and was bottled on December 19, 2023, making it 5 years old.
According to Winter, Bottled in Bond’s flavor profile is a bit of a departure from High West’s usual house style for rye. He says it’s more cereal-forward than Rendezvous Rye or Double Rye, which tend to skew more herbaceous and spicy. He also touts its floral characteristics and waxy finish.
Bottled in Bond, retailing at $80, is available for direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping to five eligible states and is currently distributed through wholesalers exclusively in Utah. It is set to expand into additional Control states this summer. While availability is limited, a notable selection of the bottles can be found at the High West Saloon in Park City, Utah.". If you can’t find a bottle locally or make the trip out west, fear not: High West plans to turn this new expression into a yearly offering with wider availability. For the lucky fans who can find a bottle, it represents a new chapter in the company’s history. We’re certainly looking forward to seeing if it holds up to High West’s blends.
