High West Distillery

[Lost Pollito]

For anyone in the Chicagoland area, you can come ask some questions in person on Wed, July the 1st. David Perkins will be at Binnys S. Loop from 6:30 - 8:30. Pm me if you're interested. Should be a great night.

[Bourbon Geek]

Although Perkins admits he didn't make the stuff, he won't tell us much that is meaningful about it and what he does say (e.g., "a 6-year-old 95% rye and an 16-year-old 80% rye.") is confusing. To what do the 95% and 80% refer. Mash bill? Why in the world would you make a 95% rye mash? Assuming the other 5% is malt, why bother? That's too little malt to effectively convert the starches. It just makes no sense. Who would make a rye that way? He won't tell us, naturally.

There are at least 3 ways I know to make a 95% rye mash bill ...

1. Use 5% Gibb malt and hold the final mash temperature at about 146 degrees F for an unusually long time before pump out, then accept a moderately low conversion in exchange for the flavor profile you do get.

2. Use 5% malted barley (Gibb or not) and enough malted rye to complete the conversion from starch to alcohol normally.

3. Use 5% Gibb malt and supplement with enzymes to complete the conversion. There ARE bourbon mash bills in use right now that only use 5% Gibb malt with supplemental enzymes.. and they do just fine.... it's just not my method of choice ...

[cowdery]

The best information I've been able to obtain is that this whiskey came from Seagram's in Lawrenceburg, Indiana (now LDI). I can see them using a very high rye mash, since they were making it as blending whiskey, but there would be no reason to use an inefficient process, when say 90% rye and 10% malt (or whatever, Dave knows better than I) would have been an easy conversion.

I also have no trouble believing they used supplemental enzymes.

[cowdery]

Click here and look under "products" at what it says next to "rye."

[nor02lei]

As I am interested in the ryes from high west I did mail to the distillery and asked were the different ryes (rendezvous, 16 and 21) were distilled. David Perkins answered that it was a secret, but that the 3 of them all came from different distilleries!? When I did prone and ask Brett at Binny´s about rendezvous, he said that they had found the barrels at a Barton’s warehouse and that he though it probably was distilled at the old Seagram’s in Indiana (as have been said before here) or at Barton’s (now Tom More) in Bardstown. Lots of questions mark as I see it, but of big interest so I hope anyone that get further information post it here.

Leif

[cowdery]

The information I have is that while all of the whiskey was distilled at Seagram's in Lawrenceburg, IN, it was obtained from different sources. Seagram's made it for blending and presumably sold some to other producers, such as Barton, who ultimately didn't need it and sold it to High West and Templeton.

I have two issues with people who do this: (1) while most won't outright lie, they do try to get people to think they distilled the whiskey they're selling, and (2) I wonder if they ever really intended to make anything themselves?

[silverfish]

A recent post by John Hansell reports of a new
"Bourye" - a blend of straight rye and bourbon
whiskies.

"The bourbon is a 10-year-old with a 75% corn,
15% rye, 10% barley malt mashbill. The rye is
a straight 12-year-old 95% rye, 5% barley malt
mashbill."

post here: tinyurl.com/bourye

[Gillman]

I've only had the one that combines 6 and 16 year old straight ryes. It is very good and quite different to any other straight rye I have had, it has a creamy but light taste, with a mango-like hint as well. It makes sense to me that it might have been made originally for blending. I wonder how the mild character was achieved? Perhaps by using a high distillation proof (but under 160 proof of course) and a yeast that lends to this characteristic, hard to say. But it is very good and I will definitely buy it again.

Gary

[JohnHansell]

A recent post by John Hansell reports of a new
"Bourye" - a blend of straight rye and bourbon
whiskies.

"The bourbon is a 10-year-old with a 75% corn,
15% rye, 10% barley malt mashbill. The rye is
a straight 12-year-old 95% rye, 5% barley malt
mashbill."

post here: tinyurl.com/bourye

Yeah, he actually informed me today that there's a second rye in the mix too--a 16 year old, 53% rye. I got a review sample today and doubt I'll make it through the evening without tasting it. I posted a label of it up on my blog for those interested in seeing it: http://blog.maltadvocate.com/2009/09...rbon-whiskeys/

[dgonano]

I've been sippin' this Rye for some time. For all who wish to experience the taste of "Old Maryland Rye", try the Rendexvous. The high rye content reveals the minty aroma and spicy taste. I like it!