High West's Son of Bourye is a blend of two straight whiskeys: (1) a five year old Four Roses bourbon that is made from 75% corn, 20% rye and 5% barley malt; and (2) a three year old LDI rye wihskey that is 95% rye and 5% barley malt.
Already on the nose it smells on the young side. I can pick up that strong rye that I associate with young LDI. Based on the nose, I braced myself for the heavily briny and vegetal rye palate you get with the youthful LDI ryes, but the palate is actually much more delicate. That young, bold rye is in there, no doubt, but it's balanced nicely with some sweet and slightly oaky notes. It may be that a shot of Four Roses is exactly what a three year old LDI rye needs to moderate some of its rough edges. There is a slightly diluted quality to this and I would have liked to taste a higher strength version, but it's quite drinkable.
I still have some of the original Bourye, so I did a head to head comparison. As you would expect, the original Bourye, made from much older whiskeys, is more complex with more interplay going on between the rye spice and the more bourbony notes. It's a more sophisticated whiskey, but of course, it's a completely different composition, and it is significantly more expensive than its more brash young son, which is fun and drinkable in its own right.
It may not have the complexity of Bourye, but Son of Bourye is a fun and drinkable whiskey that's worth trying.
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