Top 20 Whiskies of 2018

#14 • High West Double Rye! (Batch 18A23)

  • Rank: 14
  • Year: 2018
  • Score: 91
  • Price: $35
  • ABV: 46%
  • Style: Rye
  • Place of Origin: Multiple (Indiana, Utah)

High West made a momentous change to its recipe for Double Rye! this year, for the first time adding its own house-made pot still rye to a blend that was previously fully sourced from other distilleries. Apple blossom, yuzu, chamomile tea, walnut shells, pine boughs, and green-apple candy on the nose shift into an oily palate that starts off soft and then picks up speed and spice. Flavors of lemon, black pepper, walnut-and-apple chutney, dark chocolate, and a lively hit of green apple make this a satisfying pour—especially at the price. Above all, it validates High West’s skill as both blenders and distillers in their own right. —Susannah Skiver Barton