High West Liquor Barn Barrel Select Amontillado Sherry Cask Finish Bourbon 750ML

High West Liquor Barn Barrel Select Amontillado Sherry Cask Finish Bourbon 750ML is a 750ml barrel-select blended straight bourbon finished in Amontillado sherry casks from Utah's High West Distillery. This limited single-barrel selection distinguishes itself through a secondary maturation in dry, oxidative Amontillado sherry barrels that layer dried fruit and hazelnut complexity onto a bourbon backbone aged between four and nine years.

Quick Facts: ABV: Varies by barrel  |  Origin: Park City, Utah, USA  |  Blend of 4–9 Year Straight Bourbons, Sherry Cask Finished  |  Distillery: High West Distillery

Production & Heritage

High West Distillery was founded in 2006 by David Perkins in Park City, Utah, becoming the state's first legal distillery since the end of Prohibition. Now owned by Constellation Brands following a 2016 acquisition, the distillery built its reputation on expertly blending sourced and house-distilled whiskeys. This barrel select expression combines straight bourbons with a mashbill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley — sourced from MGP of Indiana — aged four to nine years, then finished in Amontillado sherry casks. Amontillado, a style of sherry that undergoes both biological and oxidative aging, contributes a drier, nuttier character than the Pedro Ximénez or oloroso casks more commonly seen in finished American whiskey.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Crisp Bartlett pear arrives first, followed by warm cinnamon bark and aromatic cedar. There is a subtle dried fruit sweetness underneath, reminiscent of raisin bread fresh from the oven.

Taste: The entry is soft with poached Anjou pear and floral honey, building toward a mid-palate of rum raisin and roasted hazelnut. Rye spice from the mashbill weaves through, keeping the sweetness in check as the sherry influence deepens into dried apricot and light toffee.

Finish: Medium-long, with green apple tartness giving way to a lingering white pepper spice. The sherry cask influence hangs on through a faint nuttiness and subtle tannic dryness.

How to Drink the Amontillado Sherry Cask Finish

Neat or with a few drops of water is the ideal serve to appreciate the interplay between bourbon sweetness and the drier sherry cask character. A single large ice cube also works well, gradually opening up the hazelnut and pear notes as dilution increases.

In an Old Fashioned, the sherry-influenced dried fruit replaces the need for sugar-heavy syrups, creating a more layered drink. A Boulevardier benefits from the nutty depth, which complements Campari's bitterness and sweet vermouth's herbal quality. A simple Whiskey Sour highlights the green apple and pear aromatics, pairing naturally with fresh citrus.

Best For

• Bourbon drinkers exploring sherry cask influence for the first time
• Gifting a whiskey enthusiast who values limited barrel-select releases
• After-dinner sipping alongside dessert or cheese courses
• Building a collection of finished American whiskeys for side-by-side comparison

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the High West Amontillado Sherry Cask Finish taste like? It delivers a core of poached pear and floral honey layered with rum raisin, roasted hazelnut, and a touch of white pepper on the finish. The Amontillado sherry cask adds a drier, nuttier character than typical sherry-finished bourbons.

How does it compare to Angel's Envy Bourbon? Angel's Envy is finished in port wine casks, which impart sweeter, darker fruit and vanilla-forward flavors, while this High West expression uses Amontillado sherry casks that contribute drier, nuttier notes with less residual sweetness. Both are blended straight bourbons with secondary cask finishes, but the flavor profiles diverge significantly due to the cask type.

Is this bourbon good for sipping neat? Yes — the complexity from four-to-nine-year-old bourbons combined with the sherry cask finishing rewards slow, neat exploration. A few drops of water can further open up the dried fruit and hazelnut layers.

Where is this bourbon made? It is produced by High West Distillery in Park City, Utah, using a blend of straight bourbons sourced from MGP Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, with the sherry cask finishing taking place under High West's direction in Utah.

What foods pair well with this bourbon? Aged Manchego cheese complements the nutty sherry cask notes; dark chocolate truffles echo the dried fruit sweetness; roasted almonds mirror the hazelnut character; pear tarts create a direct bridge to the bourbon's dominant fruit note; and charcuterie with fig jam balances the rye spice.

What sizes does this bourbon come in? This barrel-select expression is available in the standard 750ml bottle size.

Is this bourbon worth the price? It positions as a mid-premium barrel-select expression, carrying a modest premium over standard High West offerings in exchange for single-barrel selection and a distinctive Amontillado sherry cask finish not commonly found in the bourbon category.

Why the Amontillado Sherry Cask Finish?

What sets this release apart is the specific choice of Amontillado sherry casks — a finishing vessel far less common in American whiskey than oloroso or Pedro Ximénez barrels. Amontillado's dual aging process (biological under flor, then oxidative) produces casks with a drier, more nuanced character that adds complexity without overwhelming the base bourbon with sweetness. The blend of four-to-nine-year-old straight bourbons provides enough age and depth to stand up to the cask influence, while the barrel selection process ensures only casks with the desired flavor integration reach the bottle. For bourbon drinkers seeking something beyond standard warehouse-aged expressions, this finished release demonstrates High West's skill in matching base whiskey to complementary cask types.