Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9 Scene 4 Review

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:
Midwinter Night's Dram Act 9 Scene 4 Review

– 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:
Midwinter Night's Dram Act 9 Scene 4 Review

– 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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A Midwinter Nights Dram Act 9 Scene 4

Brian’s A Midwinter Nights Dram Act 9 Scene 4 Review:

reviewed 08-December-2021

HIGH WEST A MIDWINTER NIGHTS DRAM ACT 9 SCENE 4 RYE REVIEW:

Each fall, High West Distillery’s A Midwinter Nights Dram is a much sought after bottle. This year’s addition, Act 9 Scene 4 (MWND A9S4) is no exception and my first experience with both the offering and distillery. Admittedly, this is only my ninth rye, (a favorite enjoyed while on vacation went unreviewed). I was really looking forward to this pour. While I understand the passion for limited release whiskies, for me and my nose and palate, I feel a little let down.

HIGH WEST A MIDWINTER NIGHTS DRAM ACT 9 SCENE 4 RYE VITAL STATS:

Released: October 2021
Category: A blend of straight rye whiskeys, finished in port and French oak barrels.
Region: Wanship, UT
Distillery: High West Distillery (HWD)
Mash Bill: 95% rye, 5% barley malt from MGP Ingredients, Inc.
80% rye, 20% malted rye from HWD
Ratio of whiskeys: Top secret!
Barrel Char: undisclosed
Barrel entry proof: undisclosed
Barrels: Aged in new, charred, white American oak and finished in French oak port barrels
Filtration: Not chill-filtered, or carbon treated.
Age: undisclosed
ABV: 49.3% (98.6 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 27041
Price: $99.95 (Fall 2021, Idaho)
Availability: A limited release of High West Rendezvous Rye finished in French oak port barrels
Bottle Identifier: Act 9 Scene 4

“Act” and “Scene” reference the release and bottling run. This is the 9th release (the Act) bottled on the 4th day (the Scene) of this MWND production.

Learn more at https://www.highwest.com/.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

By alternating pours, four once review amounts went into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.

Check out her review for this rye here!

HIGH WEST A MIDWINTER NIGHTS DRAM ACT 9 SCENE 4 NOSE:

MWND A9S4 has no alcohol nip or burn when first brought to the nose. Most aromas are faint but I do get notes of sherry wine, which I am sure is due to the port barrel finishing. I also sense dusty grain, some tobacco laid out in the sun to dry, red grapes and plump gourmet raisins nestled in a mixture of bready cinnamon and rye. The sweets are faint as well, just a touch of light vanilla, some nearly burnt brown sugar, and roasted hazel and pinenuts. Even the earthy woodiness is muted, with just the faint aroma of seasoned wood toasted to a light char coming through.

HIGH WEST A MIDWINTER NIGHTS DRAM ACT 9 SCENE 4 PALATE:

The first sip of MWND A9S4 is warm, is easy to hold and gives the tongue a nice tickle. The aroma I sensed of sherry wine passes through to the palate but I also taste a potpourri of dried herbs, dusty grain, and faint tobacco. The fruit shifts from grapes to dried figs with some orange zest, pepper and rye now found in the liquid as well. While the light vanilla remains, the sweetness changes to light molasses and slightly bitter hazelnuts. But the woodiness in the Dram throws me off. The wood flavors present as strong seasoned and toasted pine, not the oak to which I am accustomed. But a new flavor of earthy old leather helps to save this pour.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
MWND A9S4 has a subtle balance in its traditional flavors. The mouthfeel is full and silky and in the Glencairn the legs disappear quickly into the burnt amber pool leaving behind fast falling drops from the crown. But while the pineyness I sense is a bit off-putting, the flavor diminishes as my pour is downed.

HIGH WEST A MIDWINTER NIGHTS DRAM ACT 9 SCENE 4 FINISH:

A MWND A9S4 has clean and warm medium finish. I sense a hint of mint, orange zest, some cinnamon, pepper and light molasses; in a sense the flavors of mulling spice. The pine-woodiness I sensed on the palate remains as does the earthy leather. And when the final dram is downed the empty Glencairn smells of toasted pine along with a little black pepper.

MY RATING: 84/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
While I typically would not purchase another bottle with a rating as noted above, A Midwinter Nights Dram is an annual release and each one will differ from one another. Therefore I will always be interested in the next release.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 84/100 to access other whiskies with this score.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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