Many recent whiskey fans probably know High West as a pioneer of modern American craft distilleries. Considering their tenure and current production volume, however, labeling this Utah brand as “craft” feels a bit disingenuous. Take their pinnacle, recurring release, for example: A Midwinter Night’s Dram, which had a yield of 115,000 bottles for 2022 and an eye-watering 189,000 for 2023. When I got into whiskey, I certainly heard about this expression in passing conversations (usually online), but this was also when I treated buying $50 bottles as a momentous occasion. Sometimes I wish I still did. A Midwinter Night’s Dram was also going through a transition around that time, since more recent releases (denoted by Acts, with batches identified by Scenes) use a notably different whiskey base.

Between 2013 and 2017, A Midwinter Night’s Dram consistently utilized three rye whiskeys sourced from two distilleries. Two came from Barton 1792: one using 80% rye, 10% corn, and 10% malted barley while the other was 53% rye, 37% corn, and 10% malted barley. The third whiskey was the popular 95% rye, 5% malted barley from MGP (now Ross & Squibb), which is still used today. Where it gets interesting is with regards to Barton. For one, the Bardstown distillery doesn’t have a rye whiskey under one of their own labels. This becomes even more fascinating when we consider the age on these barrels could reach as high as 19 years old, which is normally reserved for spirits aged in cooler climates, such as Canada and Scotland. So the fact High West procured their own supply of this highly aged rye whiskey and finished it in fortified wine casks during a time when finished whiskey had yet to fully explode is nothing if not fascinating.

However, when A Midwinter Night’s Dram entered its sixth Act in 2018, things took a turn. A new component was introduced to High West’s rye products in the form of their own distillate. These included Double Rye!, Rendezvous Rye, and A Midwinter Night’s Dram. This means Act 6 is particularly unique as far as A Midwinter Night’s Dram releases go since it’s the only iteration to use four rye whiskeys in its base. It was also the last run to use either of the Barton rye whiskeys. Fun fact: A Midwinter Night’s Dram is effectively Rendezvous Rye bottled at a slightly higher proof and finished in port casks. High West’s in-house rye whiskey is technically 100% rye, but 20% of the recipe is malted rye.

High West confirmed that their own rye whiskey is aged four to seven years for Rendezvous Rye and A Midwinter Night’s Dram from 2019 onwards. Meanwhile, the MGP portion is rumored to be around six years old, although blend proportions remain undisclosed. One final production-based note that changed for A Midwinter Night’s Dram in 2022 was the nomenclature for the finishing process. Previous releases mentioned being “finished in French oak port barrels” while Act 10 simply reads “finished in Port barrels,” with High West’s website specifying that it’s a combination of Tawny and Ruby Port. I imagine this change allows High West to use port casks outside of France for future releases.

The bottle I’m reviewing comes from the Act 10 Scene 4 batch and is also my first bottle of A Midwinter Night’s Dram. 2022 also saw pricing for the product jump from $100 to $150, but I was able to obtain mine for the previous listed price. I often hear people call these bottles “Christmas in a glass,” so let’s put it to the test.

Nose: Stewed fruits galore; this is quite port-heavy. Big background of molasses while warm prunes and figs liven up the palate. Faint, mellow hints of clove, cinnamon, and mint present, barely offsetting an otherwise dense, dessert-y exterior. Over time, a slight dusty quality from the base whiskeys presents with tobacco undercurrents.

Palate: Concord grape juice and raspberry sauce lead the charge as molasses and toffee trade blows with an ebb and flow of pepper spice. Juicy blackberries and a delicate dusting of cinnamon sugar hit the mid-palate and precede the finish appropriately.

Finish: Soft, sweet oak imparts a whisper of tannins while the fruity rye notes hold true, namely fig and raisin. Fermented grapes and mulled wine largely define the final, lingering impressions, which last a considerable amount of time.

The entire finished whiskey category feels like an unmitigated mess to me. Some producers know how to utilize cask finishes effectively, which can produce layers and complexities that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. However, they’re the considerable minority, further compounded by the sheer volume of finishes on the market. It’s easy to jump to conclusions and say producers are using finishes to mask their young or otherwise subpar whiskey, whether sourced or not. Although I try to give each expression the benefit of the doubt, there are so many times a finish feels distractingly heavy-handed or confusingly pointless. Act 10 of A Midwinter Night’s Dram comfortably slides into the former camp.

My initial reactions to this bottle boiled down to it being so port-heavy that I could barely tell it had a whiskey base. That sentiment was mirrored by those I shared it with friends, prompting thoughts of apathy or slight displeasure. We didn’t even consider it much of a Christmas-worthy pour and only drank about one third of the bottle. Fast-forward one year and I’ll say that revisiting this particular run has at least brought more pleasure. The port finish is still doing almost all of the talking to me, but the base whiskey does sneak out after sitting in the glass for a few minutes. This is when A Midwinter Night’s Dram finally becomes fun and interesting, since the balance doesn’t feel quite as lopsided.

Rye tends to have a lively personality that often helps it stand up better to finishes, particularly heavier ones like fortified wine. So when I sip A Midwinter Night’s Dram and feel the rye blend is almost completely overtaken by the port, it feels like a cheapened experience. The profile is mostly pleasant with some great individual notes, and the transition from palate to finish when the rye and wood spice notes pop up provides a welcome glimpse into the experience I want more of. Instead, the overall product feels like a stand-in for many finished whiskeys in the sense that it might seem great for one drinker while being overdone for another. Depending on my mood, it could be a fun bottle to indulge in on occasion, be it as a dessert pour or something to pair with holiday treats, since I can pull a few rye notes out now. And yet, I feel like I can get close to this profile and experience for far less with a cocktail or other finished rye whiskeys, which becomes that much more of a pain point when we consider how A Midwinter Night’s Dram’s price continues to rise along with yield numbers.