Hannah’s Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9 Scene 4 Review
Original review written December 8, 2021
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Had a lot of high hopes for this one, and I must admit, it did not quite live up to expectations. It’s decent, but I daresay a little bit overhyped. 84/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Park City, Utah
– Distiller: High West Distillery
– Classification: A blend of straight rye whiskeys, finished in port and French oak port barrels.
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: (from MGP) Rye=95%, Malted Barley=5%; (from High West): Rye=80%; Malted Barley=20%*
*ratio is undisclosed
– Casks: undisclosed char
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– ABV: 49.3% (98.6 proof)
– Price: $99.95 USD in Idaho (2021)
Visit highwest.com for more information
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed the spirit neat from a Glencairn with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.
Check out his review for this rye here!
SETTING:
I imagine sitting on the ledge of a castle wall or cathedral with Midwinter Night’s Dram. Even down to the name, the setting fits in this medieval, romantic period of knights, and Shakespearean poetry. It’s an odd whiskey for a modern day bunker collection with plenty of mysticism, but in this light, it fits perfectly.
Photo taken by Hannah Dawson in Vienna, Austria
NOSE:
I find an ethanol component coming onto the nose first, but it isn’t overbearing, rather just surprising. It’s not an alcohol burn, rather maybe something you’d recognize as acetone. There is an oaky sawdust mixed with the slightest hint of pine and some freshly shelled peanuts. Even more earthiness abounds with leather, and an almost paper-like quality that halts it from becoming too deep. Given the way that it fits and is blended, however, I cannot say I am bothered. Citrus zest and dried apricots with cinnamon accompany gourmet raisins for sweetness, along with a very mild unsweetened, baking chocolate. It could even be a cocoa powder, as there is some slight bitterness, but not much.
Aside from the ethanol scent, I don’t think the alcohol is actually very strong. It doesn’t sting the nose, and it seems appropriate for what the rest of the nose is offering.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: Though soft, it does fall a bit flat. Despite this, the mouth feel is clean overall.
– Balance: The initial sips were heavy in this odd tea flavor, but as it breathes, more aspects of a flavor profile appear, evening out the balance some. Secondary pours also demonstrate more balance.
– Visual: Burnt amber in color, I can’t find much of a crown but the clinging droplets are simply everywhere in every placement in the glass.
– Taste: I find the rye and a eucalyptus flavor to be the most blatant and forward on the palate. It’s quite cleansing and even sinus-clearing, if I’m being honest. There’s a texture to it that conveys the port influence of the finishing barrel, and to me, it’s not dissimilar to a fruity/minty tea. (I’ll say here and now that I am not much of a tea drinker.) The wood is slow to come forth on the palate, but it does eventually do so. It’s a fresh pine as opposed to any oak, and I suppose objectively, it makes sense that it’s more piney.
There isn’t much fruit here, aside from that port essence and perhaps some brown sugar-coated apples. Simple syrup and an incredibly light vanilla account for the sweetness. And aside from the rye, there is very little other spice to taste.
I will say that the longer I have sipped this and since I have begun writing this palate, I do find that the taste is growing on me. The freshness/tea-quality isn’t as “in your face” as it used to be, and the wood and hints of brown sugar have helped ease the balance. Nevertheless, I’m still not entirely impressed with this, though I’ve moved far from severe dislike, which is quite frankly, how I started. (A second pour possesses even less aggressive tea flavor, which helps me like this a lot more than I originally did.)
The alcohol is gentle on each sip, though the eucalyptus and rye make up for some bite and fresh zing. A Kentucky chew brings out some alcohol power, but it’s more of a pleasant tickle than anything else. It also brings back that more tea-like quality, so I don’t think I’ll be doing another one of those.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Short-medium. It’s a clean finish with only minimal aftertaste, and certainly not much heat.
– Between Sips: The clean flavor of pine and eucalyptus is present, as are some of the apples (decidedly tart), but otherwise, there is not much going on here.
– No More: I do definitely think that this improves the further into the glass that I get. The balance evens out with more fruit and wood contributions, but the fresh rye and eucalyptus still dominates.
The empty Glencairn is just as fresh and clean as the rest of the glass, and it certainly smells again much like tea. Not my favorite empty glass ever.
WORTH THE PRICE?
I was not prepared for the flavor profile I was met with, to be sure. However, I do think that given my lack of love for tea might dissuade me from thinking this meets the value. I do think High West has done a great job securing a following and becoming the daily sipper of many, and I think that for the curious, Midwinter Night’s Dram is a must. Meet it with an open mind though – even if you do like ryes.
All of that being said, I’m not convinced that to me, it is worth the $100 price tag. That kind of total is always a big ask, and if I’m going to commit to it, I want the spirit to blow me away, not be just merely passable. Which, towards the end of this pour and on subsequent pours, I am now willing to concede it being.
MIDWINTER NIGHT’S DRAM ACT 9 SCENE 4 REVIEW RATING: 84/100
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