Distiller Brendan Coyle was born and raised in Minnesota. He first ventured to Salt Lake City in 1999 where he began his career with RedRock Brewing Company. After several years learning the art and science of brewing Brendan headed to Edinburgh Scotland where he gained an appreciation for distilling and completed a Masters of Science in Brewing and Distilling Sciences at Heriot Watt University. Brendan was drawn back to Utah to join High West in early 2008. He stopped by Catherine Lombardi in November of last year and Mark and I were very impressed with both the man and the spirit.
The High West "Double Rye" has become a fixture of our cocktail program and also makes a mean Manhattan. If you're a rye fan, I encourage you to order one when you next visit. Tonight in The Spirits Project, we will feature a very unusual rye from High West, and not just because it's 21 Years Old. Almost all American whisky is aged in new oak barrels. This whiskey has been aged in mostly older barrels. The older barrels impart less flavor and less color to the whiskey. That's why it looks so light for such an aged spirit. Old and complex? Yes it is. Mellow? Not exactly. It's a bit of a rough rider, this one, with an alcohol of 53%, it's intense and lively. So come on in tonight cowboys (and cowgirls), and take her for a ride!
Suggested retail price: $129 per bottle. Tonight we're pouring 1 ounce for $4.