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Whiskey Review: High West Campfire

We review High West Campfire, a blend of straight bourbon, straight rye, and peated Scottish blended malt. Sound strange? It is - but in a delicious way.

OVERALL RATING

$50.00
  • Margarett Waterbury is a whiskey enthusiast and industry expert.
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Tasting Notes

About:

Appearance:
A ruddy amber.
Nose:
A very rich, wood-heavy nose at first, with lots of caramelized sweetness, but then things take a strange turn: metal friction, melted plastics, solvent, a bit of wet paint, and an odd note of rubbery medical equipment and disinfectant. Sort of dystopian, like a Chinese factory – but not as unpleasant and intense as that sounds. The smoke is subtle at first, but as the dram opens up more it becomes apparent: a distant campfire, dry and smoky; and then a wetter, ashier note, like extinguished coal. An industrial symphony – very interesting.
Palate:
This is very strange. Lots of peat at first, the wet, earthy, decaying kind, coupled with a vanilla-scented, chocolate bourbon-y sweetness, just like a Christmas bourbon ball. Punchy, spicy rye with dill emerges strongly in the mid-palate, trailing off into a lovely dénouement of sweet malt and melon coated with cracked black pepper. A bit of water irons out some of the high values, taming the rye a bit while retaining that peated earthiness. Final Thoughts: Yum yum yum. This hits all the buttons – spicy, sweet, smoky – for a supremely satisfying experience. Once you know the concept behind this whiskey, it’s fun to pick out each of the three major components, yet the overall effect is pretty integrated. This would be a great stumper to serve blind to your know-it-all whiskey friend. Score: 90/100 [SHOP FOR A BOTTLE OF HIGH WEST CAMPFIRE]
Finish:
Comments:

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Margarett Waterbury

Margarett Waterbury is the author of "Scotch: A Complete Introduction to Scotland's Whiskies" and a full-time freelance writer and editor specializing in the beverage industry. Her work has graced the pages of numerous publications, including Whisky Advocate, Food and Wine, Spirited Magazine, Artisan Spirit, Edible Seattle, Sip Northwest, Civil Eats, Travel Oregon, and many others. She also boasts editorial experience as the former managing editor of Edible Portland and as a co-founder and former managing editor of The Whiskey Wash. In recognition of her talent, Margarett received the Alan Lodge Young Drinks Writer of the Year award in 2017 and was awarded fellowships for the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers in 2017 and 2019.

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