With winter here, there’s no better way to warm up than with some American single malt whisky. This newest category of American spirit, soon to be codified federally, typically offers a heavier mouthfeel and more robust flavor profile than, say, bourbon; it’s ideal for slow-sipping during the colder months. And there’s perhaps no better option than one produced in the land of après-ski, High West Distillery’s High Country American Single Malt.
Founded by David and Jane Perkins in 2006, High West originally produced their whisky at the world’s only ski-in gastro-distillery located right near Main Street in Old Town Park City, Utah. Today, High West makes its world-class bourbons and ryes at a stunning 30,000-square foot distillery high in the Wasatch Mountains of Wanship, Utah. By 2019, the location seemed ideal for creating a unique, Utah-inspired twist to the much-admired single malts of Scotland. High West’s Master Distiller Brendan Coyle and Distilling Director Isaac Winter were certainly up to the challenge as both had earned their Masters in Brewing and Distilling Science from Heriot Watt University in Scotland.
High Country would, in fact, become one of only two products in the High West portfolio that is 100% High West’s own distillate. Today, is composed of two mash bills—one made of 100% base malt and one that is what the distillery calls “Tri-Malt.” It is also distilled “on-the-grain,” meaning the grain isn’t filtered out before fermentation and distillation.
Its barrel aging process also differs from “normal” American whisky that uses strictly new barrels for maturation. High West uses a combination of new and used cooperage to create High Country. Of late, Winter and Coyle have been particularly fond of employing sherry butts and port casks—they believe these barrels add a certain oxidative sweetness that expresses itself with notes of raisin, dried fig, and red fruit.
Winter claims this mixing of barrels also lets them have very fine control over a batch’s balance of distillate character in terms of esters and cereal notes vis-a-vis the extractive character that comes from wood maturation. That’s why he and Coyle also use a portion of the previous year’s blend, also finished in various barrels, to add accents on the blend.
“This allows us to sort of tip our hat to tradition by using ‘old’ malt whiskey left to age in a used barrel, while putting our own contemporary spin on it,” says Winter.
The result is a whisky with a richer texture, more roasted malt character, tons of complexity, and a flavor profile that is completely modern and uniquely High West.
