High West Pioneer!

[jmpyle]

Chuck, the ire and vitriol you have over a distillery and blending house in Utah is beyond weird. I would love to take a couple paper sacks and sneak some of High West's products when you are doing your blind tastings. If I hadn't read about your judging them here or there I'd frankly think you've never sipped a drop of their stuff.

David Perkins hasn't lied, is as forthcoming as anyone, and makes a great product. And on top of that he's the only one doing what he's doing. Not only is he sourcing some great ryes that somebody else didn't have the smarts, guts, or business model to put on the market, he's also blending them to create something greater than the sum of its parts. John Hansell absolutely nailed this one from my viewpoint. Who else is doing this? I also think they are doing pioneering work in crashing through the opinions of many of the "old guard" (hmm hmm) and paving the way to making this an acceptable practice.

Mind you I have no dog in this hunt. Frankly I don't know why I feel so compelled to respond when I read these silly arguments you make against them. Other than the fact I'm for companies/people that put great whiskey in bottles. That's what matters to me. Your making up things about how they are a bunch of liars doesn't make your comments very credible to me.

Yes I realize you are absolutely one of the most informed American Whiskey guys in this country. You might have even forgotten more than I know. But when it comes to this argument you are surely living up to your "crotchety" signature.

You're also coming across as uninformed. Making a statement about blending 2 whiskeys vs. however many is just silly. You should know better than anyone that there is no 1 way to blend. Nothing states a blend is inferior if it has 2 vs. 22 whiskeys in it. John Glaser in some cases has only blended 2 primary whiskeys. Double Single for example. Bad example because I don't love this one, but it's highly acclaimed. Sometimes Compass Box only blends 2. Is that far from 3?

I realize there is no convincing you, but I think you need a better perspective here. The griping over high west 4-6 times a year is, as mentioned, weird.

[jmpyle]

I buy and enjoy HW products and bear no ill will toward David Perkins. But what Perkins is doing is no different than what Parker & Craig Beam do or Jimmy Russell does. They all take whiskeys of different ages from the same distillery and blend them together to produce a yummy product. I don't see the difference, really. OK, so Perkins also blended a bourbon and a rye together to make a yummy product. That's something. But again, I don't think that qualfies him as a pioneer.

[cigarnv]

Clearly I am not the brightest bulb in the socket but... weren't those folks who sold everything, bought a covered wagon and risked everything to travel west and follow their dream called Pioneers??

Possibly David is more of a pioneer than most....

[Rughi]

Utah is the only state that has a holiday called Pioneer Day.

Maybe you have to be from Utah to get a Pioneer Award!

[p_elliott]

Listen to this http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com/klwinescom-spirits-blog/2011/2/28/podcast-9-high-wests-david-perkins.html

[CorvallisCracker]

Top Ten Qualifications for being a True Whiskey Pioneer

10. You ferment your mash with wild yeasts captured at various points along the Oregon Trail

9. Your "Four Grain" bottling is made from corn, wild rice, amaranth and malted teocinte

8. You age your whiskey in barrels made from hickory

7. Every bottle is furnished with a small coonskin cap. At your Visitors Center, tourists can place the caps on their own bottles

6. Your favorite song is R. Dean Taylor's biggest hit

5. Your still is heated by a furnace that uses dried bison dung

4. You're not an immigrant from a Scandinavian country, or the child of one

3. You don't even know how to spell "Potemkin"

2. You're the only craft whiskey distiller in the USA not selling white dog

and the Number One Qualification for being a True Whiskey Pioneer

1. Despite numerous rebuffs (and several restraining orders) you're still trying to marry into the Boone family

[sku]

Top Ten Qualifications for being a True Whiskey Pioneer

7. Every bottle is furnished with a small coonskin cap. At your Visitors Center, tourists can place the caps on their own bottles

Or alternatively,

[SBOmarc]

Top Ten Qualifications for being a True Whiskey Pioneer

10. You ferment your mash with wild yeasts captured at various points along the Oregon Trail

9. Your "Four Grain" bottling is made from corn, wild rice, amaranth and malted teocinte

8. You age your whiskey in barrels made from hickory

7. Every bottle is furnished with a small coonskin cap. At your Visitors Center, tourists can place the caps on their own bottles

6. Your favorite song is R. Dean Taylor's biggest hit

5. Your still is heated by a furnace that uses dried bison dung

4. You're not an immigrant from a Scandinavian country, or the child of one

3. You don't even know how to spell "Potemkin"

2. You're the only craft whiskey distiller in the USA not selling white dog

and the Number One Qualification for being a True Whiskey Pioneer

1. Despite numerous rebuffs (and several restraining orders) you're still trying to marry into the Boone family

Letterman would be proud! Over the top funny.

[Parkersback]

Top Ten Qualifications for being a True Whiskey Pioneer

10. You ferment your mash with wild yeasts captured at various points along the Oregon Trail

9. Your "Four Grain" bottling is made from corn, wild rice, amaranth and malted teocinte

8. You age your whiskey in barrels made from hickory

7. Every bottle is furnished with a small coonskin cap. At your Visitors Center, tourists can place the caps on their own bottles

6. Your favorite song is R. Dean Taylor's biggest hit

5. Your still is heated by a furnace that uses dried bison dung

4. You're not an immigrant from a Scandinavian country, or the child of one

3. You don't even know how to spell "Potemkin"

2. You're the only craft whiskey distiller in the USA not selling white dog

and the Number One Qualification for being a True Whiskey Pioneer

1. Despite numerous rebuffs (and several restraining orders) you're still trying to marry into the Boone family

Fine work, sir. I especially like #2.

[CorvallisCracker]

Or alternatively,

Woohoo. The End of History. Reminds me that one of these days I need to write "Goldilocks and the Three Beers". First though I gotta finish "Snow White and the Seven Master Distillers". It's about 30% done, and I was making progress, but got distracted.

Soon, hopefully.

[Josh]

Or alternatively,

How do you get the squirrel to stand still for that?

[callmeox]

4.5 stars

Was hoping for a Donner Party reference. :grin:

[CorvallisCracker]

How do you get the squirrel to stand still for that?

Pour some of the bottle's contents into it first (that stuff is 55% ABV).

[DeanSheen]

How do you get the squirrel to stand still for that?

Brewdog is responsible for that one.

http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/341

[CorvallisCracker]

Oh darn, now I have to get serious. I hate that.

But it seems the following has become relevant. Never mind why.

Well you also got access to all the raw materials any Michelin restaurant uses, now go cook as good food as they are doing

I think your own analogy is a bit off. If I had access to the FINISHED PRODUCT that a Michelin restaurant uses, not the raw materials, I might be able to combine the finished product in new and exciting ways.

Mark makes a valid point. What HW has done with, say, Rendezvous, is combine only two other whiskies. By trying 80/20, 60/40, 50/50, 40/60 and 20/80 combinations one could quicky reproduce their results. Applying your analogy, this is more like serving Restaurant A's grilled lamb chops with Restaurant B's au gratin potatoes.

...and until then stfu

Also, exhorting people who you disagree with to 'stfu' is hardly a winning tactic in a debate on an open forum...

Yep. What he said.

And as long as you're making it personal, no, I probably couldn't take the same materials as a Michelin restaurant and achieve the same results, but my wife could. :grin: :yum:

Sorry for the harsh words.

Don't say it if you don't mean it.

...it's too hard to discuss matters with people if you don't share some kind of basic foundations

You mean like our ability to spot an invalid analogy?

I note that you haven't posted since the day you posted these. I also note you've visited since, so I'm going to assume you'll see this. Here in the USA we have an expression, "He took his ball and went home." This is what you're doing.

Seriously, Steffan, it's not a way to gain friends or credibility, any more than is name-calling ("sheep") or uncivil directives. Do try to do better in the future.

[cigarnv]

Top Ten Qualifications for being a True Whiskey Pioneer

10. You ferment your mash with wild yeasts captured at various points along the Oregon Trail

9. Your "Four Grain" bottling is made from corn, wild rice, amaranth and malted teocinte

8. You age your whiskey in barrels made from hickory

7. Every bottle is furnished with a small coonskin cap. At your Visitors Center, tourists can place the caps on their own bottles

6. Your favorite song is R. Dean Taylor's biggest hit

5. Your still is heated by a furnace that uses dried bison dung

4. You're not an immigrant from a Scandinavian country, or the child of one

3. You don't even know how to spell "Potemkin"

2. You're the only craft whiskey distiller in the USA not selling white dog

and the Number One Qualification for being a True Whiskey Pioneer

1. Despite numerous rebuffs (and several restraining orders) you're still trying to marry into the Boone family

Scott, this is way too funny!!!!

[miller542]

sorry to revive an old thread here, but this is the most recent discussion about the High West Distillery.

I just found out some new info. Where are the barrel houses? is a question I've been asking since the beginning. Apparently, they are in Salt Lake City. They've been aging their own product there since the beginning and are about to release their own aged whiskey. No details at this point, this is just an "official rumor" at this point. I'm sure there will be a big press release once the new product is officially announced.

And for the record, I also don't think blending two whiskeys makes them a pioneer. Some of the other obstacles they've faced here in Utah probably makes the pioneer claim a little better than the blender tag. If you're ever in Park City, you have to take the tour of the place.

[jmpyle]

Miller542, they have been aging their own whiskeys since the start. David Perkins said he'll release it when he feels it's ready. As of this past April he said the aged stuff was good but he wanted to give it some more time.

They have also just released a new "white" whiskey, a Rye called OMG Pure Rye. If you like white dogs, it's a beast of a rye with loads of spice, rye grain character, and big fruit as well. It should age very well, and they'll be doing so as well as doing some other pretty cool things with it.

[JohnHansell]

This is directly from David Perkins:

"Its our first aged whiskey. Its our oat whiskey aged in second fill rye whiskey barrels. We are releasing a barrel at 1.5 years this repeal day, just for fun. We are calling it Valley Tan, after the whiskey that the Mormons made. Its very unusual and good (not great yet! needs another couple years). "

[p_elliott]

This is directly from David Perkins:

"Its our first aged whiskey. Its our oat whiskey aged in second fill rye whiskey barrels. We are releasing a barrel at 1.5 years this repeal day, just for fun. We are calling it Valley Tan, after the whiskey that the Mormons made. Its very unusual and good (not great yet! needs another couple years). "

Thanks for the info John, I think I will be taking a pass on this one.

[miller542]

This is directly from David Perkins:

"Its our first aged whiskey. Its our oat whiskey aged in second fill rye whiskey barrels. We are releasing a barrel at 1.5 years this repeal day, just for fun. We are calling it Valley Tan, after the whiskey that the Mormons made. Its very unusual and good (not great yet! needs another couple years). "

thanks indeed. Not sure how much I'll seek out something thats been aged 1.5yrs in used oak, but it is something. I'm still looking forward for the release of something 4yrs or older from High West. Like many of the big boys, they are doing lots of experimental batches. If you take the tour, you'll notice they have many other distillers experimental bottles on hand too.

Repeal day, for those like me that don't already have it on your calendar, is December 5th.

[keith18]

Just wanted to pass along this story from tonight:

High West did a tasting at my local liquor store. They had their double rye, their white whiskey, their Manhattan mix, and then a 21 year old rye they were selling for $149 or so. I tried the 21 year old and it was good, but knowing that they didn't actually make it made it less, well, impressive.

The guy repping it was cool...a couple guys stood around and had several pours of the good stuff. He was certainly passing it out and seemed to know his stuff.

Anyway, no point really, just glad I knew that the 21 year stuff wasn't actually theirs--gave me some good perspective.

Oh and I didn't buy anything.

[sailor22]

Or you could have read the label on the 21 where it clearly states HW didn't make it. Sorry "that info" diminished the taste in your glass.

Did you try the new Son of Bourye? Thought that was mighty tasty too, and at a decent price point.

[keith18]

The tasting guy didn't have the bourye. I would have loved to have a taste of that.

It didn't diminish the taste, just makes the product less impressive knowing they didn't make it. Maybe that's a distinction without a difference.

[SMOWK]

Oh and I didn't buy anything.

It didn't diminish the taste, just makes the product less impressive knowing they didn't make it. Maybe that's a distinction without a difference.

Would you buy it if you rated it higher than your favorite whiskey in a blind taste test?

I think there's a point at which "who the hell cares where it comes from, that's some good hooch" comes into play.