As David wrote in his 2025 evaluation, Excessive West’s Bourye has construct a little bit of a cult following — and deservedly so. This ever-evolving mix of bourbon and rye from some mixture of Indiana, Kentucky, and Utah is without doubt one of the most dependable American whiskeys available on the market, and it’s a whiskey I by no means flip down the prospect to style after I occur upon a bottle.
For 2026, Bourye has a brand new trick up its sleeve: It’s shifting up the abv ladder, with a 101 proof presentation vs. the extra typical 92. The mashbill hasn’t modified a lot, although 2026’s launch leans extra into MGP, with no Kentucky inventory within the combine. Formally, you’re getting an undisclosed mixture of the next:
Straight Bourbon Whiskey: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley malt from MGP
Straight Bourbon Whiskey: 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley from MGP
Straight Rye Whiskey: 95% rye, 5% barley malt from MGP
Straight Rye Whiskey: 80% rye, 20% malted rye from Excessive West
At the least a number of the whiskeys within the mix are at the very least 10 years outdated.
Let’s tuck in.
Excessive West Bourye (2026) Evaluation
Basic Bourye, with a twist, greets the drinker: Numerous fruit on the nostril, a mixture of orange and apricot, then loads of vanilla and caramel. The rye takes extra of a again seat this 12 months — and that’s advantageous with me — because the whiskey makes room for sweeter fare. Caramel and darkish chocolate make an impression on the nostril, however they’re tempered by a wholesome shake of rye-driven cinnamon and a duskier clove notice. On the entire, it’s fairly balanced and welcoming.
The palate is brisk and clearly racier than prior Bouryes at 50.5% abv, with an prompt pop of ginger and orange peel, then cinnamon and extra clove. Some alpine cedar quickly creeps into the combination — I prefer to assume that is Excessive West’s juice exhibiting itself, however who is aware of. The baking spice builds to a crescendo, then a extra bluntly peppery edge pulls issues in one other route, hinting at anise. The end is surprisingly earthy and grounded, with warming notes of lavender and tea leaf saying goodbye with a heat hug.
The upper proof is a good alternative for this whiskey, although I might by no means thoughts seeing it differ from 12 months to 12 months — even increased and even decrease than 92 proof. It’s like they are saying: abv is just a quantity. They are saying that, proper?
101 proof. Batch#26A21.
A / $125 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Excessive West Bourye (2026)
USD125
