High West A Midwinter Night's Dram

“Are you sure That we are awake? It seems to me That yet we sleep, we dream.” - Demetrius, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 4, Scene 1

By Not Masters of Malt

January 11^th, 2021

FROM THE DISTILLER...

High West:

“At High West, we consider whiskey an indispensable part of making it through the long cold winter. One taste of A Midwinter Night’s Dram alongside a cozy fire will surely transport you to a dreamlike state. This limited release whiskey is a sumptuous marriage of our Rendezvous Rye finished in both port and French oak barrels. The rye forms a beautiful base of vanilla, caramel and cinnamon; the port barrels enhance with plums and dried fruits; the French oak provides a spice accent.”

BEHIND THE BOTTLE:

It’s that time of the year for High West’s highly coveted release of A Midwinter Night’s Dram and I was lucky enough to snag the last bottle from one of my favorite liquor stores this holiday season. I have never actually seen this bottle available to purchase around Ohio before so I was very excited to dig into this and see if it lives up to the hype. The bottle I am reviewing is Act 8, Scene 6 and the proof comes in at 49.3%.

REVIEW:

Nose (8/10):

Plums and cherries mingle with clove, cinnamon and tobacco up front. After some time to air out, some hints of dill, eucalyptus and bubblegum show up. A nice rich and complex nose.

Palate (8/10):

The herbal rye and bubblegum notes follow thru from the nose and quickly transitions into tobacco and a nice sugar sweetness from the French Oak and Port barrels. There is a bit of a youthful note to it.

Finish (9/10):

Sweet cherry hits first and then turns into clove and cinnamon spice, apple peel and brown sugar. This all fades into a nice mixture of menthol and oak. The finish on this is long and complex and is the best part of the drink!

Aesthetics (5/5):

I am a sucker for High West’s bottles and A Midwinter Night’s Dram is the best looking one they have. I love the shape of the bottle, the cork, the imperfections in the glass and the “old timey” looking label.

Availability (1/5):

Unfortunately, this bottle is basically “Unicorn” status in Ohio. I have never seen this annual release on a shelf before this year and I was lucky enough to grab the last bottle after standing in line for it. This bottle is something I don’t think I will see again anytime soon.

Price (7/10):

A Midwinter Night's Dram is $110 after taxes in Ohio. At that cost, the bottle of whiskey is a bit overpriced for what it is. While good, I don’t think I would pay over $80 for it.

Overall (38/50): Top Shelf

Final Verdict:

So did this highly sought after bottle live up to the hype? Not quite, but it’s a damn good drink! The whiskey has a great nose and fantastic finish but I would like to see what A Midwinter Night’s Dram tastes like as the releases get older as I was getting a youthful note in the palate. I also have to knock it down a bit for the price and how hard it is to find. As great as the whiskey is, I don’t know that I would go out of my way to get another bottle.