High West distillery is a manufacturer and blender of spirits, located in Park City, Utah, hidden deep within the Rocky Mountains. Founded in 2007 by David Perkins, this petite distillery makes its spirits in small batches. It's the first legally licensed distillery in Utah since the end of the American Prohibition. Most of their spirits are sourced and blended, although they do distil some of their spirits themselves.
The Rendezvous is made from the intercourse of two straight Rye Whiskies with a different composition but one main theme-Rye. One is a 6-year old Whiskey with a 95% rye content, and the second is a 16-year old Whiskey with a 80% rye content. The "bite" of the younger rye works superbly together with the depth of the mature rye... a relationship where Rye speaks for itself - loudly.
The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavors that you'll taste in High West Rendezvous Rye and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it.
We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
Aroma / Smell / Nose
Pears, pepper, vanilla and toffee with spices tingling all over the sensors.
Flavor / Taste / Palate
Mr. Spice comes in person to a level that is so high that just in time tastes like cardamom, brown sugar and barley become detected.
Finish
The heat wears off and herbal notes with a pinch of pepper become present.
Cocktail know-how:
New York Sour
The Whiskey Sour has lasted as long as it has for a reason. It tastes fantastic. To add a bit of a flourish - and wow your friends - serve it topped with a float red wine, which makes it a New York Sour.
Sounds odd, tastes divine with the wine's slight sweetness complementing the spice of the Rye.
- 1 1/2 ounces / 50 ml of rye whiskey
- 3/4 ounce / 25 ml of strained, freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 to 3/4 ounce / 15 to 25 ml of simple syrup (1:1 granulated sugar and water)
- 1/2 ounce / 15 ml of red wine, fruity Shiraz suggested
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing glass, fill the glass three-quarters full with ice cubes,
cover with a Boston shaker tin, and shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled, 15 seconds.
2. Strain into a martini glass.
3. Using a spoon with the back of the bowl resting against the edge of the glass, gently pour the wine over the spoon so it floats on top of the drink.
My favorite from the High West brand. Just the right amount of rye and spice to it!
Steve,
smooth and silky finish, complex flavor but hard to describe - admittedly, my palate is somewhat of a novice.
Cary,
Nose: creme brulee, vanilla, brown sugar
Taste: full spice, hints of vanilla and honey
Finish: long, steady, sweet linger
Fantastic rye! Don’t mistake this for dessert. Good drinker, anytime. Make it a staple.
Richard,
Smooth, tasty, just a worthy bottle. Can be a bit steep but get this over some other similarly priced options
Jordan,
Smooth, light burn. Mild mint and brown sugar.
Erik,
Not too bad for everyday
Paul,
This is a wonderful rye. The marriage of the 6 and 16 year old Straight ryes makes for a nice spicy sweet blend. Definite citrus notes on the palate. I thought this would be good but it exceeded my expectations.
Dustin,
I wanted to give this an 8 at first, but have come back to it after trying a few other things, and wow - this is truly a lights out rye, definitely going to be a staple in my homebar moving forward.
James,
nose: like a bourbon. vanilla, toffee, caramel with a hint of fruit
taste: medium spice and earthiness. hint of cinnamon and mint
Scott,
My favorite rye whiskey.
Jeff,
This is rye opened my eyes (and taste buds) to whiskey
Judy,
it's ruined my love affair with High West Double Rye.
James,
I found this quite unpleasant. And I’m a big fan of High West Prairie Bourbon and I love Rye whiskey, but I guess I don’t like their Ryes, haha. Tasted a lot like their Double Rye to me, very metallic, lots of herbal notes, and a ton of mint. Just not my thing.
Burke,
Love it. Smooth drinker
David,
High West Cowboy Rye is for Cowboys '"I don't care". HW Rendezvous Rye is for those who care.
Brian,
This is currently my favorite rye. Man, what a great pour. Paired with a matching cigar, it makes for a great night with friends or family.
Terry,
Very good rye
guest,
Bold spice, balanced with a fair sweetness. The Double Rye may make a better mixer because if it’s spiciness, but this is far better sipping neat or with an ice cube.
guest,
Sweet and thick
Brendan,
A standard rye with good bite and spice.
Beau,
Great rye! I enjoyed it quite a bit more than the Double Rye. I'm about 50/50 on ryes I like to drink neat versus a small cube, but this one is . . . neat.
Erik,
Prefer Double Rye to this personally, which is unfortunate due to the price. Not a bad rye by any means, just didnt hit me the same way as the Double Rye
WILLIAM,
This is the best Rye that I have ever had.
Ryan,
Great rye. If you like this, I would strongly recommend pinhook rye.
Todd,
Very nice. I would repeat.
Mike,
A little sweet, but very nice with a cube
Bradley,
One of the best & complex whiskey's I've had to date. The after taste is remarkably sweet. Make sure to swirl it around the mouth, get some on the tip of your tongue. If you do you'll taste it, it's curious in it's candied ginger flavor and very smooth going down. Drink this neat or with some rocks, don't waste this bottle as a mixer.
Thomas,
Smooth, flavorful blend. I wasn’t crazy about the initial taste because I feel like I taste dill in there but it has grown on me.
Chris,
This was fantastic , what a pleasant surprise , smooth.
Jared,
Great nose and well balanced palate. This is an everyday sipper that’s easy find, easy (relatively) on the wallet, and easy love!
Johnathan,
The best rye whiskey I’ve found in readily supply.
Jeremie,
hot and spicy with a carmel finish ,well worth trying
Christina,
My perception was skewed by how much better I like the Double Rye. This one wasn't as delicate or delicious.
Matt,
too harsh
Jim,
Great rye whiskey. High West never fails to deliver.
Kevin,
Best rye
Jeffrey,
Smooth
Chad,
Great flavor! Burnt and spicy.
Ro,
I actually prefer the double rye but this is still great
Lisa,
Another great showing from High West.
Brandon,
Delicious. Do with ice. It bringeth the heat. Complex w/ great finish.
Adam,
This is hands down my favorite! Leaving the 10/10 for something to knock this off the top of my list. There's a great subtle mint mixed with the complexities of a very robust rye.
Andrew,
Got it as a gift and was to young to appreciate it. We drank it with coke and completely ruined the flavor. Big regret. Need to buy again and rewrite my review
Michael,
Good rye that makes a great cocktail.
Matt,
A HW classic
Schyler,
Brown sugar and mint with plenty of spice but still very smooth and drinkable. Opened up nicely with a few drops of water. Would try again!
Derek,
Nice bold pepper that balances out at the end.
guest,
Excellent Rye!
Eric,
Sublime.
guest,
A wonderfully nuanced rye that starts off heavily influenced by its young mgpi side, but as it rests the Barton rye dominates.