High West's new Bottled in Bond straight rye whiskey. Photo: Graff PR

PARK CITY, Utah — With the release of its new Bottled in Bond rye whiskey, High West Whiskey is switching up the one recipe that made it famous: blending whiskey that was actually distilled elsewhere.

The new release follows a 127-year-old law from Kentucky that requires distillers to certify that their whiskey is 100-proof in its “original condition or character” and aged at least four years in an approved warehouse. While the law leaves room for variation, it’s process is immensely stringent.

“I think what our team really enjoyed was finding the little hidden gems that provided some of the impactful accent marks on this blend. There were some really interesting lots to consider, all with big personalities,” said Isaac Winter, High West’s director of distilling. “Whether that was a big aromatic spice profile, or deep vanilla notes from barrel impact, we really had the luxury of picking our absolute favorite lots to drive complexity in this blend.”