Tasting notes

nose

orange peel, dried apricot, mint, clove and pine over caramelized sugar

palate

bold ginger and cinnamon spice, with molasses, vanilla, coconut macaroon and toasted oak underneath

finish

lingering; the rye spice fades into caramel, orange zest and tobacco, with dried cherry and a last flick of ginger

Mash bill

Two straight ryes: one of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, and one of 80% rye and 20% malted rye. The first comes from MGP in Indiana; the second is High West's own recipe, run through its pot still in Utah, with malted rye in place of the usual malted barley. Both carry far more rye than the 51% that many straight ryes stop at, which High West credits for the whiskey's bold spice and botanical character.

Why it's craft

Rendezvous, named for the mountain traders' gatherings in Utah's Cache Valley in the early 1800s, was the first whiskey High West ever released. It pairs rye bought from MGP in Indiana with rye High West makes on its own pot still, and recent batches lean further toward that house spirit. High West, founded in Park City in 2006, has been part of Constellation Brands since 2016.