High West Midwinter Nights Dram Act 2

A Midwinter Night's Dram Act 2. High West — the second annual release of the port-finished rye series, Utah straight rye whiskey finished in French oak port wine casks and French Limousin oak, a rare secondary market bottle from the foundational era of one of American craft whiskey's most celebrated annual traditions.

Act 2 followed the success of Act 1 with the same core concept — rye finished in port casks — refined with the learnings of the inaugural release. The series was still establishing its identity, and Act 2 reflects that: the same foundational approach of using port wine cask finishing to add dark cherry, fig, holiday spice, and sweetness to a rye base that retains its inherent pepper and grain character, but with year-specific blend ratios and cask selection that give it a distinct fingerprint from Act 1.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Brandied cherries, Calimyrna figs, allspice, grapefruit zest, French oak, vanilla caramel
• Palate: Dark cherry, cocoa, cinnamon, spiced plum, rye spice, port sweetness, dried fruit
• Finish: Warming rye spice, dark cherry, cocoa, lingering port sweetness

Specs

• Distillery: High West Distillery, Park City, Utah
• Style: Straight Rye Whiskey, Port Cask Finished
• Finish: French oak port wine casks + French Limousin oak
• Series: A Midwinter Night's Dram — Act 2
• ABV: 49.3% (98.6 Proof)
• Size: 750ml

Browse the full High West collection at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How does Act 2 differ from Act 1? Each Act varies in blend ratios and cask selection — Act 2 reflects refinements made after the inaugural release while maintaining the same port-finished rye framework.
• Is Act 2 still available at retail? Original retail stock is exhausted — available inventory is secondary market allocation only.
• Why collect earlier Acts of Midwinter Night's Dram? Each Act is a time-stamped expression of High West's evolving blending philosophy — earlier Acts document the formative years of one of American craft whiskey's most important annual series.