High West A Midwinter Night's Dram 7.5

Back in October, over MEA (a teacher's conference) when school's out, we visited Maryland and saw some friends. I packed a couple samples in mini bottles and was able to complete another whiskey trade with a friend out there. One I received was a pour of High West's A Midwinter Night's Dram Act 7 Scene 5. It's his favorite whiskey, last I checked, and a popular one.

Well, I've sat on it until the middle of winter, and it's been a pretty chilly one here in Minnesota, with double digit negative temps the last few nights. Time to get warmed up and (finally) explore the dram.

I've already written about High West (see Rendezvous Rye) so I'm going to rehash as little as possible and focus on this bottling. High West, based in Utah, is predominantly a blender, meaning they get much of their spirit from other distillers before aging, mixing (or 'blending') and bottling themselves. If you walk into most liquor stores you'll see their Bourbon (no longer 'Prairie Bourbon') and Double Rye! for under $40. They could have (the updated) Rendezvous Rye or Campfire (with peat), or perhaps one of their entry level whiskies with a black label, finished in something unusual. This is their commonly found stuff, the core lineup. They also do special releases, and browsing their website this currently includes a cask strength Bourbon and Rye blend, a single malt and, most well known, A Midwinter Night's Dram.

A Midwinter Night's Dram is released annually, around the holidays it seems. It's a take off Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, if you didn't get the reference, and so the numbering convention is styled like a play. A play that's getting quite lengthy. The debut 'Act' came out in 2013. The current release is Act 12 (2024) and its MSRP is $150, about the cheapest you'll see it at a liquor store. My bottle, Act 7 Scene 5 (scenes are batches within that year), thus came out in 2019.

Some research was required to figure out what's in this bottle. This article gives a nice breakdown showing how MWND (as it's often abbreviated) changed over time and helped quite a bit. Act 7 was a blend of two rye whiskeys, one a 95% rye/5% malted barley from MGP in Indiana and the other a 80% rye/20% malted rye from High West itself. That's a lot of rye. This is the same breakdown as the updated Rendezvous Rye btw, but with a few differences. First it's a few ABV points higher (46 to 49.3) and, more importantly, it's finished in port (wine) casks. This gives it that distinct red color and a more complex flavor profile.

I had not previously realized this was a slightly proofed up, port-finished Rendezvous, a whiskey I already liked. Well, the older version at least. That's exciting!

Swift as a shadow, short as any dream

Brief as the lightning in the collied night.

Lysander, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 1 Scene 1 - William Shakespeare

Stats:

ABV - 49.3% (98.6 proof)

Mash - mix of 95% rye/5% malted barley (MGP) and 80% rye/20% malted rye (HW)

Maturation - aged in new, charred American oak and finished in French port oak

Age - NAS

Location - distilled in Indiana and Utah, bottled in Utah

Price - ~$100 (in 2019), $150 (now)

Tasting Notes:

Smell - delicate, some burnt sugar and oak, faint rye

Color - pretty dark, reddish

Taste - sweet fruits, firmer but not gentle rye spice, vanilla

Finish - most falls away quickly but the port and some spiciness hangs around

Final Thoughts:

The upside: It's pleasant and enjoyable. Everything is soft, and yet it's nicely complex. The high rye content is muted by the port but it's still there. I like it much more than Angel's Envy, a Bourbon, which had me thinking I wouldn't like any port finishes.

The downside: This confirms I wouldn't buy this for myself. Now, while I'm not opposed to whiskey matured in port, it's still not something I'll seek out. And these MWND bottles are hard to find and quite spendy. If I want a higher end bottle of rye from High West I'll be sticking with Rendezvous.

Cheers! Stay warm.