I've Tried Hundreds of Whiskeys. This Limited-Edition Bottle Is My Go-to for Holiday Sipping

It’s holiday time. That means there are tons of parties happening this season, and no one wants to arrive empty-handed. Bringing a good bottle of whiskey is always in style, but anyone can just go to the liquor store and grab a cheap bottle or some Costco whiskey. However, for the holidays, you might want to bring something a little special. For my seasonal gatherings, I'm bringing High West Bourye.

Bourye is a 2024 limited-edition bottle out of Utah’s High West Distillery. It blends bourbon and rye, as the name implies, into a magical holiday sipping whiskey. Pouring a glass of this will turn heads, as it’s not your normal Jim Beam—especially because of how the bottle looks.

The label pays homage to Western lore with a winking jackalope. It's a mythical creature that has a jackrabbit’s body and antelope antlers. In many bars out West, you'll find makeshift taxidermies of it mounted all over the walls. Under the image,  the cheeky tagline "Spotted in the Wild" references the bottle's rare seasonal release.

But what exactly is in Bourye? First off, the barrel statement makes clear that the whiskey was aged in new charred white American oak barrels for at least a decade. The extensive mash bill is listed as a mix of straight rye whiskey and straight bourbon whiskey.

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There are two ryes in this blend: one is 95 percent rye, 5 percent barley malt from MGP, the other 80 percent rye and 20 percent malted rye from High West Distillery. That marries two bourbons: one that's 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, 4 percent barley malt from MGP, and another that's 78 percent corn, 10 percent rye, and 12 percent malted barley from Kentucky. There is no flavor added here and no chill filtration, meaning what you see is what you get.

Bourye is one of High West Distillery's most popular bottles, and it’s easy to taste why. The cherry and shortbread notes are ideal for the holidays. And the more than 10-year age statement adds a nice depth and complexity to the buttery-rich whiskey. And, bottled at 92 proof, it's accessibly strong for a fun holiday party. Being a limited release, it’s a real Christmas treat for those who gather for the holiday party.

If the jackalope label didn't seal it, the whiskey is firmly rooted in its Western heritage thanks to its Wanship, UT, home base. Based just outside of popular winter destination Park City, UT, High West Distillery has a Saloon, too, that's the only ski-in-ski-out bar of its kind.

High West was founded by David and Jane Perkins, who swapped their background in biochemistry for whiskey. The two specifically selected Park City for a home to the distillery in 2006 because of their love of the old west and its history of whiskey. In 1933, Utah cast its vote to end Prohibition and 73 years later, High West had the honor of becoming the state’s first legal distillery since 1870.

Today, High West is blending some of the most creative bourbons on the market, not just Bourye. The Wanship location is a blending house where workers meld different whiskeys together to create bottles greater than the sum of their parts. The result is a variety of different whiskeys that taste unique, such as the Double Rye or the Campfire.

As for Bourye, the distillery recommends drinking it around a campfire while looking at the Milky Way. But I find that sipping around a fireplace and looking at the Christmas tree with friends and family is equally enjoyable. Try it neat or with a little water for the best experience.

Bourye is available at High West Distillery for $125.

Related: High West Just Dropped Newest Edition of A Midwinter Night's Dram