High West Distillery Introduces Bouyre

PARK CITY, Utah (November 2009) – Life just got a little more exciting in Utah thanks to a new whiskey called Bourye, a blend of bourbon and rye whiskeys crafted by High West Distillery in Park City, Utah.  Bourye makes its public debut tonight at WhiskeyFest New York, an annual event sponsored by Malt Advocate, America’s leading whiskey magazine.

“My wife and I were sitting around one evening sipping some beautiful older whiskies we were lucky enough to acquire.  As the night went on, the combination of the bourbon and rye really hit us as very tasty and complex,” says High West proprietor David Perkins.  Bourye's unique blend features three whiskies: a 10-year-old bourbon with a mashbill of 75 percent corn, 20 percent rye and 5 percent barley malt; a 12-year-old straight rye whiskey that's 95 percent rye and five percent barley malt; and finally a 16-year-old straight rye with 53 percent rye, 37 percent corn and 10 percent malt.

“Because the combination of bourbon and rye is a bit unusual, we couldn’t help thinking of the jackalope, a mythical creature native to the American West that is a combination rabbit and antelope.  So we decided on the name Bourye, “Bou” from bourbon, and to feature the antlered rabbit as the model on the label.  It really got fun when we did some research on the jackelope,” said Perkins.  Western lore tells that when cowboys would gather by their campfires to sing at night, jackalopes would frequently be heard singing back, mimicking the voices of the cowboys.  When chased, the jackalope will use its vocal abilities to elude capture. For instance, when chased by people it will call out phrases such as, "There he goes, over there," in order to throw pursuers off its track. Legend suggests the best way to catch a jackalope is to lure it with whiskey, as they have a particular fondness for the brown liquid. Once intoxicated, the animal becomes slower and easier to hunt.

 “We had a particularly big Jackelope problem where we live – until we created Bourye.” Perkins went on to note, “However no animals were harmed.”  Bourye is best enjoyed around a campfire while looking at the Milky Way or at astronomy books if you don’t live in the star kissed west.

John Hansell, the editor of Malt Advocate magazine, rated Bourye "90 points" and said “Very interesting indeed.  It’s clean, crisp and quite vibrant (especially on the nose). The rye note is evident throughout. It starts out more like a high rye-content bourbon, with the molasses, caramel, coconut cream, sweet corn and honey-kissed fruit marrying nicely with the dried spice (vanilla, cinnamon, brisk mint). But then on the latter half of the palate, the rye really kicks in. The whiskey gets bold, the rye becomes intense with a dried-spice finish. Some whiskeys are even-keeled throughout. This one is more of an adventure… a very distinctive, enjoyable whiskey."

“Because John’s a hard grader, this is indeed an honor!” noted Perkins.  Bourye will be available in Utah and in finer liquor stores any day now and it joins High West's current specially crafted spirit offerings including Rendezvous Rye, which was rated 95 points by Malt Advocate Magazine and named one of their "Top 10 New Whiskies of 2008."

For more information, visit the web at www.highwest.com or contact Christa Graff at 435.640.7921, christa@graffpr.com.

High West Distillery & Saloon
Based in Park City, Utah, High West Distillery & Saloon began operations in 2007 as Utah’s first legal distillery since 1870. Featuring small batch, mountain-crafted spirits, High West’s product line includes the highly rated and award winning Rendezvous® Rye, Rocky Mountain Rye® 16 Year Old, Rocky Mountain Rye® 21 Year Old, Vodka 7000’® and Utah Peach Vodka.  Located in the heart of old town Park City at the base of the Town Lift, High West’s home is a newly renovated 100-year-old livery stable listed on the National Historic Register.  We might be the world’s only ski-in gastro-distillery.  Our Saloon is a full-service restaurant and bar where visitors can refuel on nouveau western fare next to a traditional 250-gallon copper pot still and take an educational tour to learn how whiskey is made. Our old building has several wonderfully decorated rooms ideal for private parties ranging from 10 to 180 guests. For more information about High West and to find where to buy High West products near you, please visit www.highwest.com.

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Christa Graff
Graff Public Relations, LLC
435.640.7921
christa@graffpr.com