In the ever-expanding world of American whiskey, High West’s Bourye remains something of an outlier—a blend that plays by its own rules. First created in 2009, Bourye brought together straight bourbon and straight rye long before such mashups were common. Even now, it sits apart from the mainstream, always evolving with each annual release.
For Tara Lindley, Director of Sensory QA and New Product Development at High West, that evolution is exactly the point. “We take the liberty to play with the flavor profile a little bit each year and highlight the 10+ year-old whiskies that bring forth the most interesting nuances and complexities,” she explains.
Bourye: A Blend Built on Character, Not Convention
The 2025 expression brings together five component whiskies, including three bourbons and two ryes. The bourbon elements are sourced from MGP and Kentucky, offering a range of mash bills—from a bold 60% corn, 36% rye blend to a softer, high-corn profile with 78% corn and just 10% rye.
It’s the rye, though, that sets the tone this year. Lindley highlights two rye whiskeys in the blend: one a familiar 95% rye, 5% barley malt recipe from MGP; the other a house-distilled 80% rye, 20% malted rye that adds texture and depth. All five whiskeys are aged between 10 and 14 years, and the blend arrives at a confident 46% ABV.
“Ultimately, the ratios we implement for each component are all sensory-driven decisions,” Lindley notes. “It all starts to take shape once we start running the sensory trials.”
In other words, Bourye isn’t engineered—it’s explored. The blending process is guided by aroma, flavor, and feel, not by rigid formulas.
Time, Patience, and the Power of Age
All of Bourye’s components meet a minimum age requirement of ten years. But for Lindley, age is less about prestige and more about chemistry.
“The whiskey ages in a barrel, then it undergoes a variety of complex reactions including extraction of compounds from the wood, and then oxygenation and esterification,” she explains. “Vanillin is one of the compounds that increases and continues to extract over time and lends to that element of decadence we experience in Bourye.”
This strategy is reinforced by the fact that Bourye’s age statements do not appear on the bottle. It is all about the flavor that comes from time in the cask, with the lack of age statement encouraging whiskey drinkers to focus on the final profile, not on age.
No Filtration, No Fuss
High West opts for a craft-first approach when it comes to production. The whiskey is bottled without chill filtration, meaning more of the flavor compounds—like fatty acids, esters, and phenols—remain intact. This adds both texture and complexity, reinforcing Bourye’s unapologetically full-bodied character.
At 92 proof (46% ABV), it also holds its own whether sipped neat or used in a robust cocktail.
“It has so much richness and flavor that comes through a strong cocktail really nicely,” says Lindley. She recalls a standout Bourye Old Fashioned, and suggests pairing the whiskey with something indulgent but simple—like salted caramel, flan, or brown butter cupcakes.
Bourye 2025: A New Chapter in a Familiar Story
This year’s Bourye opens with aromas of Honeycrisp apples, caramelized peaches, and honey butter on waffles. The palate layers in maple-glazed donuts, candied orange peel, seasoned oak, and chicory. It finishes with fresh yellow nectarines and a slowly building rye spice—complex, but approachable.
For long-time Bourye fans, the whiskey presents something different yet equally as decadent as the 2024 release. Those who are lucky enough to sample the annual expressions are privy to the ever-evolving profile of Bourye, with the 2025 edition showcasing more rye spice than previous.
“For some years, we like to highlight the depth those older bourbons bring forward; for other years (like this release), we want to bring more lively rye spice to the party,” Lindley explains.
Frontier Spirit, Bottled
Bourye is, in many ways, a reflection of High West itself: a brand rooted in the American West, unafraid to blend tradition with something a little unexpected. It evolves year by year, letting quality lead and character follow.
And if you happen to spot a jackalope on the label—a mythical creature said to be caught only with good whiskey—consider it a fitting emblem.
