By Richard Thomas
Rating: B+
A decade ago, Utah’s High West was a fan favorite, instantly earning a reputation for transparency at a time when a handful of whiskey bloggers led an often trollish obsession among enthusiasts with the sometimes shady marketing employed by non-distiller producers. High West was unusual in not only did they frankly admit that their whiskeys were sourced, but they even specified from who and what their blending proportions were.
Campfire was not just an example of a transparently sourced American whiskey, but also an early example of a whiskey that blended multiple types of whiskey together, or hybrid. In this instance, it’s a mixture of bourbon, rye and Scottish malts. As Padre John wrote in our 2015 review, “According to David Perkins, founder of High West Distillery, the Campfire saga all began at the Bruichladdich Distillery B & B. He and his wife were served an unusual combination of fresh melon and sweet smoke. He believed it a very unforgettable experience, and the idea struck him to recreate this marvelous experience only with a bourbon as the base.”
High West discontinued Campfire for a brief spell, but has resurrected it this year, albeit with a new formulation. This version draws on stocks of the ubiquitous MGP-made 95% rye, 5% malt rye whiskey; High West’s own in-house rye whiskey; the 75% corn mash bourbon made by MGP; and a blend of malts from Scotland, sourced from undisclosed distilleries. This Campfire 2022 is bottled at 92 proof.
The Whiskey
I’ve never actually found campfire to have the nose of a campfire, which is perhaps a good thing: American whiskeys have no business aping the peatiest beasts of Scotland. This new formulation has a candied core at the scent, smacking of vanilla, honey and butterscotch, tinged with cookie spices and pine needles. The flavor follows almost exactly in this vein, differing only in the addition of a touch of ash, making it everything anyone could ask for from an Scots-American hybrid whiskey. That ash firmly establishes its feet in both identities, and in a way that doesn’t clash. The finish rolls on woody and spicy, but mildly so.
The Price
Officially, Campfire now goes for $79.99