The whiskey wash logo
The World's Most-Visited
Whiskey Website
The World's Most-Visited
Whiskey Website

Trending Stories

Search
American

High West Prisoner’s Share Review

High West’s The Prisoner’s Share 2025 is one of the year’s most anticipated releases. A bold blend of straight whiskeys finished in The Prisoner wine barrels. Does it live up to the hype?

OVERALL RATING

9
$380
  • Charles Steele is an attorney and whiskey enthusiast with a penchant for the peculiar.
Like Conversation

Tasting Notes

About:

High West Prisoner’s Share is BACK! The original Prisoner’s Share was a specialty release from 2022/2023 and received a great deal of positive reception. This new release is a limited edition blend of 4-12 year old bourbon and rye whiskies finished in The Prisoner red wine barrels.

It is believed the base is three straight bourbons and two straight ryes. High West has released limited information overall, but from a press release, the following is known: The whiskey features a complex blend of five different mash bills, including MGP-sourced whiskeys alongside High West’s own production. These range from a high-corn bourbon (75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley) to a high-rye whiskey (95% rye, 5% malted barley), with High West’s own 80% rye, 20% malted rye whiskey contributing to the final blend.The Prisoner Winery is located in Napa Valley, California. Their claim to fame is blending unique wines outside of the standard ‘single-vineyard’ common to the region.


Appearance:
Ruby red with copper tones.
Nose:
Lucious red fruit and raspberry jams. The wine influence is obvious and tempered against the alcohol, oak, and sweet demerara sugars. Successive smells reveal cherries, strawberries, and honeycomb woven throughout the nose. There is an underpinning of rye spice but layered in the red fruit.
Palate:
Velvety layers of plum, peach, and strawberry jam. There are underpinnings of the rye spice through cinnamon, and pepper. Bourbon flavors of brown sugar and dark chocolate. Like a dark chocolate covered strawberry with light caramel drizzle. There is an alcohol bite at the start and bright flash toward the end.
Finish:
Buttery mouthfeel like velvet across the tongue. Lasting red wine influence with pops of spice. Holds nicely for a medium to long finish with whiffs of oak.
Comments:
This is terrific, my palate loved this. I confess, I like dark and juicy red wines which helps. The profile mixed well and is nearly perfect for me, there was just something missing in the palate and the nose was a little more delicate than I wanted. However, don’t let perfection be the thief of joy in this whiskey.

I could sip on this all day, just slow long sips outside in the evening as the sun sets. Or, at a nice dinner with steak or other rich dish. The red wine flavor imparts supple notes of red fruit which balances the spice kick of the rye with the dark sugar bourbon and oak cloaked around everything.

I would certainly hold this back from the group at a party. This is one to pull out to show off the collection to “those” friends. I can appreciate that this may not be everyone’s preference due to the red wine, but for me it’s excellent. I’m glad High West brought this back.

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.

All Posts

Latest On The Whiskey Wash

The whiskey wash logo