High West "Campfire" American Whiskey

An unexpectedly wonderful pairing with a sweet chocolate or a sticky caramel dessert, Campfire blends straight rye whiskey, straight Bourbon and blended Scotch. Altogether, it’s big and smoky, with lots of iodine, but doesn’t completely overwhelm, settling into a pleasing mix of toffee and peat. Gift a bottle to a Scotch lover to introduce the joys of American whiskeys. (KN)

To say this is the end of an era is an understatement. Highwest Campfire has long stood as a symbol of the risks that the special Utah distiller was willing to take as well as their prowess as blenders. It is indeed their ability to acquire and expertly blend whiskies that made High West the exceptional property that it is today. But the shear boldness of mixing high quality American whisky with heavily peated Scotch to create a new category of whisky truly put these guys on the map. Many were skeptical at first, writing off their efforts as a gimmick or a novelty, but ultimately this product has been embraced by so many in the whisky community who appreciate it's balance and versatility. Now, with word that they'll be transitioning this product to a distillery only release, there's been a renewed sense of urgency from many of those who have come to rely on this bottle when they found themselves craving something shall we say "in between" categories. Still now, years after its initial release, the campfire offers something few else can. The nose is a luxurious amalgam of sweet new oak, tangy rye spice and deep sooty smoke. On the palate the wood does a lot of the talking and falling distinctly in the texture range of a good straight bourbon or rye. The sweetness is tempered perfectly by the top note of clean Islay peat, twinges of ash and iodine don't distract at all from the gorgeous caramel and spice. Altogether an idiosyncratic expression that won't necessarily make everyone happy all the time, but when you're in the mood there's nothing else that can quite scratch that itch and since you'll have to head to Utah to get this one in the future, it's probably a good move to grab one or two just in case.