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High West Bourye 2026 Review

High West's elusive Bourye 2026 blends decade-old bourbon and rye into one bottle—but does this limited "rare sighting" live up to the hype? We find out.

OVERALL RATING

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Tasting Notes

About:

This was Cask 26A21. We review High West Bourye 2026, a limited, annual release from this popular Utah distillery that is a blend of straight bourbon and rye whiskeys aged at least a decade. This is heralded as a premium, limited-release blend of straight bourbon and rye whiskeys, with all components aged at least 10 years. Bottled at 101 proof.

While also a limited release “limited sighting” bottle, it doesn’t have the same mystique as the other High West bottle “Midwinter.” This, however, is my first time getting my hands on a bottle. I am very excited to try it and see what the hype is all about.
Appearance:
Mahogany almost Old Oak, with super slow legs that cling to the surface. This was tasted neat in a Glencairn after resting for 5+ minutes.
Nose:
A soft medium complex nose of berries almost a jam, caramels and deep dried wood, touches of vanilla intermix the oak. Soft and sweet with an occasional ‘pop’ of alcohol.
Palate:
The body is dry with a nice medium complexity. We start with some dried fruits and sugar before maturing to earth tones and stewed spices. We open to find cherries and oak, some ginger spice pops through, rye crackers, almonds, and light herbs round out the mid to late profile. Before closing out we get rose and the softest sugar glaze.
Finish:
Buttery mouthfeel with dark chocolates and cigar tobacco. Ends with a bit of an underwhelming finish but there is nice red fruit marmalade as it fades off the tongue.
Comments:
I am a fan! It is a classic High West limited release. I believe these releases are almost entirely their own stock, or at least the majority of the whiskey is now from the distillery. I recall the first few releases when they switched away from sourcing and things took a small dip. Now, I really see the brand is finding it’s stride with their recent releases! I’ve reviewed a few things from High West and they do not disappoint.

This is a fun bottle to have and share freely. You might go awhile between sightings but I think you’ll enjoy sharing this more than hoarding it. It has fun notes that aren’t the easiest to identify out of the gate. Overall though, it’s a fun dram for a nice evening.

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.

Charles Steele

Charles Steele, a Portland-based attorney, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. His legal background provides him with an analytical approach to understanding whiskey and other aged spirits. Primarily a legal writer, freelancing for The Whiskey Wash offers Charles a unique opportunity to showcase his versatility as a writer. Although his preference lies with whiskey and whiskey-based cocktails, he has a profound appreciation for all unique and unconventional liquors, from Malört to Ojen - if it's peculiar, he's intrigued.

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