A little background

Named after Shakespeare’s, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream, High West Distillery concocted a limited release whiskey that is perfect for a midwinter pour. A Midwinter Night’s Dram is a blend of Non-Chill Filtered (NCF) straight rye whiskies which are finished in both port and French oak barrels. High West Distillery keeps the specific ratios of the whiskies a secret, but it’s certainly no mystery that the barrels chosen for finishing have a great effect on the flavor of the whiskey. The port barrels give it dark fruity notes, while the French oak barrels give it a beautiful spice. The mash bill of the ryes are as follows: 95% rye, 5% barley malt from MGP and 80% rye, 20% malted rye from High West Distillery. This review was based on Act 6 Scene 6 which was available for an MSRP of around $99.

(Tasted neat from a Halo Glass)

Color

Dark Amber Red

Nose

The nose is deep: full of red port berries, rye spice, orange spice cake, dates, cedar, and many sweet baking spices. It is very sweet in a pastry-like sense. The port barrel finish plays a massive role in the aroma of this whiskey. This is a very complex and delicious nose.

Palate

The palate is medium-thick bodied. The very first thing I noticed was the presence of the port. Dark red port berries cover the mid-palate and cling on for dear life. Black cherries, figs, and blackberries stick to both the mid palate as well as the sides of the palate. The front of the palate is tingled by a heavy rye/oak spice that punches through the sweetness of the port. Small notes of ginger and orange peel are also present on the sides of the back palate.

Finish

The finish is medium-long and is covered with spices, candied figs, oak spice, and ginger. It lingers just long enough to be satisfying but not long enough to make you feel like the flavors were sickly-sweet.

In closing

High West hit the nail on the head with this one both with flavor and marketing! This is definitely something I would enjoy during the cold Winter time, and I will be opening my own bottle of it soon. If you haven’t got to try this yet, it is a whiskey everyone can love and I would highly recommend seeking a bottle out. For its price, I think the value is pretty spot-on.