High West Campfire
High West Campfire, NAS, 46%
High West whiskey is finally back and available in Norway. I’ll be working my way through the core product line-up over the next few days. Starting off with this mix of American rye and bourbon on the one hand and peated Scotch on the other.
Mash bill:
Straight Rye Whiskey: 95% rye, 5% barley malt from MGP;
Straight Bourbon Whiskey: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt from MGP;
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky: Undisclosed Source (due to contractual reasons)
The High West Campfire is available to buy at NOK 899 (19560101).
Nose: Sweet notes of honey and smoky popcorn. Earthy vanilla and light fruitiness - both ripe orchard fruits and fruits of a more tropical persuasion. With time also hints of citrus and assorted nuts.
Taste: Full bodied. Sweet and somewhat dry at the same time. Sugary sweetness with a touch of orchard fruits clash against a torrent of drier notes of soot, ashes and nuttiness. Well, I say clash, but it is not a war, more like a dance of opposites attract. What I assume must be the peated Scotch does have the upper hand initially - and it is a dry and smoky affair.
Finish: Medium long finish. Now the softer and sweeter notes of the rye and bourbon do come more into their own. Notes of sugar, maple syrup and sweeter peppery notes win back some of the lost territory and we reach an amicable stalemate between the two forces.
Comment: Enjoying the great outdoors without leaving the sofa. What’s not to love?!
Score 86/100
Sláinte!
-Thomas
