High West “Campfire” American Whiskey (750ml) (Previously $55) $54.99 View
91 points Whisky Advocate
An oddball that crosses the divide between American whiskey and scotch by literally mixing the two, Campfire combines straight Indiana rye, straight Indiana bourbon, and peated blended malt scotch, marrying them together in heavily toasted French and Hungarian oak wine barrels. The scotch adds hearty, meaty flavors to the dry, spicy, and rich bourbon and rye. This is a robust and beefy whiskey, with smoke reminiscent of Southern barbecue. Earlier releases of this ambitious whiskey didn’t quite hit the mark. Now, it’s right on target. *Top 20 Whiskies of 2017* (AP) 
(12/2017)
91 points Wine Enthusiast
An unexpectedly wonderful pairing with a sweet chocolate or a sticky caramel dessert, Campfire blends straight rye whiskey, straight Bourbon and blended Scotch. Altogether, it’s big and smoky, with lots of iodine, but doesn’t completely overwhelm, settling into a pleasing mix of toffee and peat. Gift a bottle to a Scotch lover to introduce the joys of American whiskeys. (KN) (7/2013)
K&L Notes
You read correctly – High West is mixing bourbon, rye, and smoky single malt to make the “Campfire,” a wonderfully balanced mix of three different whiskies. It’s rich, spicy, just a little smoky, and totally drinkable. Some of you out there might be on the fence, thinking you don’t need another oddball in the bar, but this would go down fast at poker night or at any other get-together. It has all of the rich wood and spice of bourbon and rye, with that smokiness of an Islay malt. It’s definitely in the style of an American whiskey rather than a single malt. It has more of a barbecue smoke quality on top of the sweet, wooded flavor to go alongside that high-toned cinnamon note present in whiskies like Laphroaig and LDI rye. Delicious!
Doc Swinson’s 15 Year Old “Rare Release Batch #9” K&L Exclusive Exploratory Cask Series Unchillfiltered Small Batch Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $159.99 View
Doc Swinson’s has become an absolute sensation in the bourbon world. The skeptics have been silenced and countless bourbon lovers have fallen in love with their exceptional exploratory cask 15 year. It would be negligent not to mention that for those paying attention, the first batch of 15 year old (batch #6) has now become a serious collector’s item. Its successors, batches #7 & #8, sold at record speeds and have been received with equal gusto by aficionados and amateurs alike. Amazingly, our friends at Docs have secured this new batch of 15 year. It’s the same exact bourbon as the first three batches. As the supplier for this bourbon is extremely concerned with the preventing its source from being disclosed, the 29 barrels that went into this excellent small batch bourbon were dumped in KY before being trucked in inert containers to Washington for bottling. This batch was slightly larger than the last three at 4200 bottles, an increase of 240 bottles/two barrels. The gorgeous truth about these awesome bourbons is that each batch has its own amazing character built around an amazing core of classic flavors. Expect a richly-textured, mature bourbon character with aromas of leather, baking spice, brandied cherries, chocolate and fresh wintergreen. Perfect balance between sweet and savory on the palate with a long warming finish. Sadly, according to the bottler, this is the last of these 15 years, although they assure us they’re pushing for more. We’re prayin’ they succeed.
