Rendezvous Rye is our flagship whiskey. Almost every other straight rye whiskey you can buy today is barely legal, with 51-53% rye in the mash bill. Not Rendezvous Rye. It honors the way rye whiskey used to be made, with a high rye content and full, uncompromised flavor. With Rendezvous Rye, you get a taste of authentic rye whiskey. We hope you enjoy it.
How to Enjoy
Great neat, with a little water, or on the rocks. The high rye mash bill also makes Rendezvous Rye perfect in one of the classic cocktails made with rye, like a Manhattan, an Old Fashioned, or a Sazerac.
The Name
Our flagship whiskey commemorates the first recorded whiskey-fest out West. From 1825 to 1840, the “rendezvous” was the annual summer gathering of mountain men to exchange pelts for supplies. Alcohol was not one of the “supplies” at the first rendezvous. This oversight was QUICKLY corrected with a generous supply of whiskey at the second rendezvous in Utah’s Cache Valley (and all subsequent rendezvous!).
Back Label Story
Our inaugural whiskey commemorates the first recorded whiskey-fest out West. From 1825 to 1840, the “rendezvous” was the annual summer gathering of mountain men to exchange pelts for supplies. Alcohol was not one of the “supplies” at the first rendezvous. This oversight was QUICKLY corrected with a generous supply of whiskey at the second rendezvous in Utah’s Cache Valley (and all subsequent rendezvous!). In this tradition of importing whiskey from back East (while we age our own whiskey), we craft Rendezvous from two exotic straight rye whiskies both with high rye mashbills (please see HighWest.com for specific details by batch # of the different whiskeys in this bottle). A higher proportion of unmalted rye gives Rendezvous a unique flavor profile with notes of spicy cinnamon, caramel, honey, mint, and vanilla. Rendezvous is not chill filtered, a cosmetic step almost all large companies use to remove the natural oils that cause a haze when whiskey gets cold. This also removes flavor, texture, and the lingering finish we really enjoy. If you see a harmless “haze” in Rendezvous, just swirl the bottle and it will go away. High West is Utah’s first distillery since 1870 and the world’s only ski- in gastro-distillery. Located at exactly 7000 feet in the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains in Old Town Park City, we make spirits for people who want great taste, appreciate quality ingredients, small batches, and the owner’s personal touch. Founded by prospectors in the late 1860’s, Park City became one of the richest silver mining towns in the West and the best watering hole in Utah. The horseshoe on this bottle honors High West’s home, a 100-year-old livery stable. Please visit us when you are in Park City. We invite you to share in our passion for the American West and our gumption to bring spirits back to Utah.
Technical Details
Ratio of whiskeys: top secret!
Filtration: not chill-filtered, or carbon treated.
TTB Designation
A blend of straight rye whiskies
Proof & ABV
ABV: 46%
92 Proof
Age(s), Distilled by & Mashbill(s)
A blend of older Straight Rye whiskeys ranging in age from 4 to 7 years.
Straight Rye whiskeys:
95% rye, 5% barley malt from MGP
80% rye, 20% malted rye from High West Distillery
Barrel Type(s)
New, charred white American oak barrels
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High West Distillery was founded in 2006 by David Perkins and his wife, Jane. David, a former biochemist, was inspired to open his own distillery after seeing the parallels between the fermentation and distilling process and his own work in biochemistry during a trip to the Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky. In 2004, David and his family relocated to Park City, Utah to begin their new venture, where they began distilling in 2007. They chose Park City because of David’s love of the Old West and Utah’s little-known whiskey history (see Utah’s Distilling History for more).
High West began with humble roots, opening a small, 250-gallon still and Saloon in an historic livery stable and garage. What was once a small operation in downtown Park City has grown to be an internationally-recognized brand with four unique locations. In 2015, High West opened their distillery in Wanship, Utah, which acts as a space for educational whiskey tasting, pairings and tours, and houses a 1600-gallon copper pot still. Meanwhile, the Saloon continues to operate as a must-visit gastro-distillery, featuring alpine-inspired western fare alongside the original still, the Nelson Cottage offers unique whiskey-paired dinners, and the Saloon at the Salt Lake City airport allows for some last tastes of High West on the way out of town.
