High West Cask Collection Finished in Oloroso Sherry Barrels
100 proof (50% ABV) | 750mL | Blend of 6-10-year straight bourbon & straight rye, finished 11 months in Oloroso sherry barrels — High West's Cask Collection is where the brand's blending obsession meets single-barrel-style cask work: this limited edition starts with selected lots of 6- to 10-year-old straight bourbon and straight rye whiskeys, then finishes them for 11 months in Oloroso sherry barrels. "Blended and specially selected from the mountains of Utah." Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
The sherry finish pushes the whiskey's fruit into darker, richer territory than High West's core line: K&L's notes (quoting the distillery) open with smoked blackberries, dates, fresh waffles, vanilla bean and amaro on the nose, then blood orange reduction, cherry compote, caramel shortbread drizzled with dark chocolate, flaky puff pastry, tobacco lounge and cinnamon bark on the palate, closing with spiced baked apple crème anglaise. Among American whiskeys with sherry finishes, an 11-month Oloroso rest at 100 proof is a serious commitment — the cask doesn't whisper here.
Tasting notes
Nose: smoked blackberries, dates, fresh waffles, vanilla bean, amaro. Palate: blood orange reduction, cherry compote, caramel shortbread with dark chocolate, flaky puff pastry, tobacco lounge, cinnamon bark. Finish: spiced baked apple crème anglaise.
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- 100 proof — 750mL; 6-10-year bourbon/rye blend, 11-month Oloroso sherry finish
- Cask Collection limited edition — small-batch, cask-driven High West
- Distillery-quoted tasting notes: blood orange, cherry compote, tobacco, dark chocolate
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat in a Glencairn to catch the sherry-layered aromatics; a single drop of water opens the baked-apple finish. Also superb in a sherry-influenced Boulevardier.
Frequently asked questions
What is in the High West Cask Collection Oloroso?
A blend of 6- to 10-year-old straight bourbon and straight rye whiskeys, finished 11 months in Oloroso sherry barrels.
Is this a bourbon or an American whiskey?
Because it's a blend of straight bourbon and straight rye (not a straight bourbon), it falls under American whiskey.
Are the sherry barrels first-fill?
Sources conflict — some retailers say freshly emptied Oloroso barrels, High West's own back label says second-use. We state only "Oloroso sherry barrels."