American Rye has been making a comeback but rarely gets the attention of Bourbon, so in this post, I want to take two expressions that are popular and readily available and taste these side by side.

High West Double Rye ($)

High West Double Rye is a blend of Straight Ryes produced at High West Distillery in Park City, and Midwest Grain Products, also known as MGP. The core range of the distillery includes Campfire, Rendezvous Rye, Bourye, Yippie Ki Yay, and the hardest-to-find A Midwinter Night’s Dram.

The blend is bottled at 46% ABV with a mash bill of:

• 95% ABV of rye and 5% malted barley from MGP Distillery and
• 80% ABV malted rye and 20% malted barley from High West Distillery. The distillery neither discloses the age of the blend (probably between 2 and 7 years old) nor the proportions of the whiskies.

Tasting notes for High West Double Rye ($)

Nose: A rich and lovely nose of baking spices.

Palate: A tasty arrival of honey, cinnamon, and vanilla that transition nicely into a spicy flavor. The transition is solid. There is a slight oak note in the mid-palate, but subtle, and only there complements the sweetness.

Finish: Long and sweet with a slight oak finish, but sweet and spicy flavors dominate.

Sagamore Spirit Straight Rye ($)

Sagamore Straight is a blend made at Sagamore Spirit Distillery in Baltimore, Maryland. The distillery was founded in 2013 and opened to the public in 2017.

The blend has a high rye (95% rye, 5% barley) whiskey mash and a low rye (51%) whiskey mash, both from MGP. There is no age statement on the label (possibly a four-year-old) and bottled at 41.5% ABV.

Tasting notes for Sagamore Spirit Straight Rye

Nose: Rich aromas of honey, cinnamon, and oak. An elegant nose.

Palate: Slightly sweet and rich arrival of vanilla, clove, and cinnamon that develops fast into oak and rye spice flavors.

Finish: Medium, bitter, spicy, and oaky.

Conclusion: Sagamore Spirit is a delicious whiskey with a nice and complex nose. However, the oak note in the finish did not do it for me. Adding water improves the whiskey significantly, giving more balance to the blend (sweet and spicy) and making it less bitter.

High West has a lighter nose than that of Sagamore Spirit, but the vanilla and cinnamon aromas are too vibrant to be missed. These aromas create a preview of what is coming. The palate is consistent with the nose with baking spices; the vanilla/cinnamon combo never leaves the palate and remains throughout the experience. The transition is cohesive and seamless without any intrusive flavors.

My overall experience with both whiskies was positive. Either option provides good value. My Pick: High West.

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Legend
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