High West A Midwinter Night's Dram Act 14 — PRE-SALE (Arriving Oct 1st) 750ml

A Midwinter Night's Dram is High West's most beloved and most collectible annual release, and Act 14 is the latest chapter — a blend of straight rye whiskeys finished together in ruby and tawny port barrels, built the same deliberate way every single year: 95% rye, 5% malted barley whiskey sourced from MGP in Indiana, married with High West's own house-distilled rye, made from 80% rye and 20% malted rye. As High West's own copy describes it: "the rye forms a beautiful base of vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon while the port barrels provide notes of plum, dried fruit, and spice. Like a proper holiday plum pudding, it's brimming with lovely mulling spices, dried fruits, and crème anglaise." The whiskey is never chill-filtered, and lands, as it does most years, right around cask strength — historically close to 98.6 proof.

Shipping October 1st, 2026.

This release has genuinely earned cult status in the whiskey world. Robb Report calls it High West's "most collectible whiskey," noting that while other distilleries have since experimented with port-finished rye — Sagamore Spirit, Milam & Greene, Hillrock Estate among them — "none of these have really achieved the collectible status of A Midwinter Night's Dram." One devoted reviewer, covering last year's Act 13, called it "the best Midwinter's Night Dram in their excellent lineup," while another found it "back and finally once again" offering "those Christmas flavors of sweet port, raisin, fig, rye spices, and vanilla throughout" — describing it as "perhaps the best in several years." Historically, the whiskey opens with underripe apricot, ginger-poached pear, and soft licorice on the nose, alongside apple butter on fresh bread, Earl Grey tea, and a cedar-box note, developing on the palate into peach marmalade, grapefruit zest, and Danish pastry drizzled with brandy, closing with grated nutmeg, vanilla meringue pie, and roasted pecan.

Act 14 arrives October 1st, and given the series' track record — genuinely fast sell-outs year after year, with even High West's own direct sales channel routinely selling through — this is exactly the kind of release worth reserving ahead of arrival rather than waiting to see what's left on the shelf.

Origins & Craftsmanship

A Midwinter Night's Dram is produced by High West Distillery, based in Utah, and released annually each fall as a limited, highly anticipated seasonal expression. The whiskey blends two distinct rye components: a 95% rye, 5% malted barley whiskey sourced from MGP in Indiana, and High West's own house-distilled rye, made from 80% rye and 20% malted rye, distilled on High West's own pot still at their Wanship facility. Both components are finished together in a combination of ruby and tawny port barrels, developing the whiskey's signature layered fruit, spice, and dessert-like richness.

Each annual release is labeled by "Act" and "Scene" — a nod to the brand's Shakespeare-inspired naming, drawn from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Act 14 is the newest chapter in the series, arriving October 1st. The specific blend composition and cask selection vary meaningfully from year to year, even as the overall style and cask-strength bottling (historically around 98.6 proof) remains consistent.

Critics Reviews

No independent reviews are confirmed for Act 14 specifically at this time — it has not yet reached reviewers ahead of its October 1st arrival. For context, the series has a well-established reputation:

Robb Report:
"None of these have really achieved the collectible status of A Midwinter Night's Dram."

Bourbon Bossman (Act 13 review):
"Thankfully, I am not disappointed with this year's release, and this is a damn fine pour, perhaps the best in several years! Overall, A Midwinter Night's Dram is back and finally once again offers those Christmas flavors of sweet port, raisin, fig, rye spices, and vanilla throughout."

High West (official series description):
"Like the works of our favorite playwright, William Shakespeare, a glass of A Midwinter Night's Dram is made to be savored, and over all too quickly. This limited-release whiskey is a sumptuous marriage of rye whiskeys finished in Port barrels. The rye forms a beautiful base of vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon while the port barrels provide notes of plum, dried fruit, and spice."

Tasting Profile

Reflects the series' established house style; specific notes for Act 14 will be added once available.

Nose
Underripe apricot, ginger-poached pear, and soft licorice, alongside apple butter on fresh bread, Earl Grey tea, a cedar box note, and geraniums after spring rain.

Palate
Peach marmalade and grapefruit zest lead, joined by Danish pastry with a brandy drizzle, grated nutmeg, and roasted pecan — rye spice smoothed by the port cask's natural fruit and sweetness.

Finish
Long and warming, closing on vanilla meringue pie and lingering dried fruit — the port and rye spice working in genuine balance rather than one overpowering the other.

Quick Overview