Why write a review of a discontinued product? Good question. I’ll get back to you.

High West Yippie Ki-Yay is a blend of three straight rye whiskies from MGP, Barton 1792, and High West’s own distillate, aged between 2-16 years, then finished in vermouth and Syrah barrels. It was marketed as a special release of High West’s Double Rye! line, which is odd considering there are three ryes, not two. Ah well.

In general, I’ve always felt that rye can handle finishing better than bourbon because the underlying flavors are stronger, and in many ways that remains the case here. The rye isn’t lost, though I’d be hard-pressed to tell you which rye profile came out best.

Overall, this isn’t bad…it’s fine, even, if you really enjoy vermouth. The problem lies in the finishing, as is so often the case with finished American whiskies.

In Yippie Ki-Yay’s case, the problem is three-fold.

First, the vermouth is very strong. I can’t emphasize enough how strong it is. If you don’t like vermouth - hell, if you don’t like negronis, boulevardiers, or Manhattans - you won’t like this. The vermouth is front and center from the nose to the finish, at times eclipsing the rye underneath. High West didn’t disclose for how long the rye was finished in each barrel, but by taste alone I’d say it was either a long finishing or small, wet barrels.

If you like vermouth, that’s great and you might be able to look past it. I personally enjoy those cocktails, so the vermouth itself didn’t turn me off from this. The minty notes from the rye work well with the vermouth, as do the citrusy flavors that border on Campari-like bitter orange liqueur. It’s quite lovely in that way, and I think a few more proof points would have done a great service here.

This brings up problem number two: notice I haven’t mentioned the Syrah yet? That’s because it’s barely there. I enjoy Syrah from time to time, though I usually tend towards an Argentine Malbec or a Northern Italian red. The larger point I’m making is I can pull out general red wine notes - jammy, berries, tannins, black cherry, oak astringency - and none of them are here. There’s not a single facet I associate with red wine found in this bottle. Maybe the red wine adds something to the body or is meant to have a stronger influence than it does - I just can’t taste it, and thus I feel it could be omitted without detracting from the product.

Problem number three is a bit more complicated. The rye and vermouth do work well together and elevate each other’s profiles. It’s a great match, and there’s a reason these two are paired in so many classic cocktails (yes, I am a believer in rye over bourbon in a cocktail unless that bourbon is 1) necessary or 2) cask strength). Unwittingly, this creates problem number three: this drinks more like a pre-made cocktail than a whiskey. Particularly now as pre-batched cocktails have become more popular and more available, this product no longer fits in the whiskey world. Add a splash of Campari or some brandy or some demerara and you could make any number of cocktails with just the Yippie Ki-Yay and those additions.

Maybe problem three isn’t a problem at all, and High West was just ahead of the curve. After all, they did discontinue Yippie Ki-Yay as the batched/bottled cocktail craze emerged, and maybe someone inside Constellation thought the same thing I did. Seeing redundancy, eliminating this product in favor of different finishes and blends - also as stocks of high-aged MGP and Barton stock dried up - makes business sense.

And so, I come back to where I started - why do a review of a discontinued whiskey? Because there was more to this than what was on the label. Whether intended or not, it was a precursor to the bottled cocktails trend. It showed that rye and vermouth do indeed work well together, even if the finish was too strong. Experiments, if they are interesting and give worthwhile results, are always worth revisiting, good and bad alike.

High West Yippie Ki-Yay Whiskey: Specs

Classification: Blend of Straight Rye Whiskies Finished in Vermouth and Syrah Barrels

Origin: High West Distillery, Barton 1792 Distillery, and MGP

Mashbill: Blend of 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley from MGP, 53% Rye, 37% Corn, 10% Malted Barley from Barton 1792, and 80% Rye, 20% Malted Barley from High West (Proportions Undisclosed)

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Age: 2-16 Years Old

Location: Indiana, Kentucky, and Utah

High West Yippie Ki-Yay Whiskey Price: N/A - Discontinued (SRP was $79.99)

Official Website

High West Yippie Ki-Yay Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Black tea with a red tint.

Nose: Vermouth-heavy, lots of mint and red fruit leather. Orange zest expressed over an old fashioned. The underlying rye is there, but it’s like the Manhattan-Finished Double Rye - it mixes too well with the finish to be easily isolated.

Palate: The rye hits first, showing some muscle up front, sweet and herbal and immediately coating. The vermouth slides in next with the orange and mint, almost more Campari-like than a straight vermouth. The Syrah isn’t noticeable at all. Mouthfeel opens a bit of proof, and oak pepperiness, oily, coating, and medium-bodied.

Finish: Bracing but quick, leaving a nice, long lacquer on the tongue and whole palate.

Overall: It’s fine, but this would definitely be better as its own cocktail or a component in another. The rye and vermouth prove worthy partners, and the Syrah is totally absent.

Final Rating: 5.7

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Old Label Batch 4 or 2, Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (Stagg Jr. Batch 10, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Has promise

1-3 | Let’s have a conversation