High West Yippee Ki-Yay Rye

Park City, Utah Wine Enthusiast 96 points - Attention wine lovers: this fab bottling with the cowboy label is made with a blend of straight rye whiskies finished in two wine casks, formerly holding vermouth and Syrah. The result is a deep ruddy amber hue and a strikingly concentrated flavor profile. Look for warming layers of caramel, toffee and espresso, drying to leather, zingy orange peel and spice. Sip or mix into Manhattans or any drink including sweet vermouth. Top 100 Spirits 2016.Kara Newman, July/2016 How to Enjoy: Yippee Ki-Yay is great as an aperitif on ice, neat with dessert, or on its own. Try it in a Manhattan. This stuff rocks. The Name: Where did “Yippee Ki-Yay” come from? Is it a real expression of joy popular with cowboys in the 19th century Western United States? Is it part of the greatest one liner in movie history? Was it influenced by the phrase ‘Yippie-yi-yo-ki-yay’ from the 1936 hit song “I’m an Old Cow Hand from the Rio Grande” about a 20th-century cowboy who has little in common with cowpunchers of old and sung by Bing Crosby in the film “Rhythm on the Range” (also sung later by Roy Rogers and Frank Sinatra) and considered one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time? We’re not sure. But we are sure we like how we feel when we say it... and recommend you use it every chance you get. Back Label Story: We confess...we didn’t coin the term “Yippee Ki-Yay”. Moreover, we didn’t paint the picture on the front label. It’s an historic poster (Gift of The Coe Foundation and Henry B. Balink) now at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming (centerofthewest.org, you really ought to visit). Furthermore, we didn’t distill the whiskeys in this bottle (it’s our Double Rye!® - sourced whiskey - see highwest.com for details). However, we did come up with a combination that we think will make you say...Yippee Ki-Yay drinkers of horrible tasting cheap flavored uisge beatha! One day, just for fun, we put Double Rye!® into oak barrels that had originally been used to age two different types of wine (see highwest.com for details) and discovered an all-natural, not disgustingly-sweet sipper for the rest of us.High West’s Yippee Ki-YayTM is great as an aperitif on ice, neat with dessert, on its own, or try it in a Manhattan. This stuff rocks. A Blend of Straight Whiskies Proof: Bottled at 46 %ABV/92 Proof Ratio of component whiskeys: top secret! Not chill filtered Marriage of two straight rye whiskies The 2-year-old 95% rye 5% barley malt mashbill (LDI now MGP) The older rye has a ”barely legal” rye mashbill of: 53% rye 37% corn (Barton Distillery) Barrel type: Oak barrel that previously held Vermouth Barrel (Vya, Madera, CA), Oak barrel that previously held Qupe Syrah (Qupe Santa maria, CA)