Although High West's latest release is all in-house, its tradition of blending is part of what enabled it.
State of play: As craft whiskey took off in recent decades, blending provided immediate revenue that gave startup producers the time they needed to perfect their own distilling, which takes years.
Zoom in: Those years gave High West a robust inventory to choose from in crafting Bottled in Bond.
"Whether that was a big aromatic spice profile, or deep vanilla notes from barrel impact, we really had the luxury of picking our absolute favorite lots to drive complexity in this blend," Winter said.
Flashback: High West's Bottled in Bond was distilled in 2018, "right before we shut down to totally change, and improve, our whiskey making process from grain to glass," Winter said.
How it works: BIB whiskeys tend to have a savory profile, and the high alcohol content helps their flavor hold up in cocktails — a feature that has driven their popularity in recent years.
Erin here! My family scored a bottle the day after it was released last weekend ($79.99, sold only in Park City and Wanship). I found it peppery, with a lovely Christmas-spice finish.
It's my favorite High West product since the early bottles of Midwinter Night's Dram. And it tells a good story.
