While the surroundings of Gordon's latest, heavenly outpost with its retro disco-fueled vibe may seem a prospectively interesting marriage with a Western American Whiskey, there is some synergy. The High West distillery resides at 7000ft above sea level, and Lucky Cat offers refined supping and dining at 60 floors above the city, some 883 feet below.
An evening at the highest cocktail bar and restaurant in Europe had been designed to showcase the pioneering spirit of these whiskeys; the cocktails were to come strong, and the matched food, like the whiskey, was sassy and polished.
Coming on strong - a High West Bourbon Boulevardier
Some 60 floors up and looking down on The Shard, the peaks of London skyscrapers are very different from the views from the still house of High West in the Rocky Mountains. So, too, are the brand's eco credentials, given it operates in one of America's most protected and wildlife-rich areas. One hundred per cent of the electricity used across all the sites at High West is offset by renewable energy credits through Rocky Mountain Power.
Chilled glycol is also employed to cool its copper 1500-gallon 'Forsyth' still, instead of water, to reduce consumption on site. High West has also pledged $1 million over the next three years to organisations which protect 'The West' no matter how wild. For a refreshing change, no pun intended, this shows a real multi-level commitment to green credentials by a drinks producer mindfully immersed in its surroundings, not just some marketing eco-wash.
With four tasting glasses in London set against a sunset direct from the 'Stony Mountains', the facets of these Utah spirits could not have been more different. Sensitive manipulation of quality ingredients and a few clever maker-led surprises became evident.
Our gateway to the West was to be via blended Bourbon, which was evocative of the Western style and highly aromatic with wafts of sweet vanilla and brown sugar. On the palate, honeyed popcorn and nougat conspired to give a drink with a very wide potential audience.
The Double Rye that followed was to prove quite a glass! With two Ryes blended to produce double the spice, the maker has achieved all they set out to do. Waves of menthol, cinnamon, allspice, liquorice, and dark chocolate are primary on the nose, with a secondary surprise of some prevalent gin-based botanicals. On the palate, there is an additional note of borage honey and wild herbs.
Campfire was to live up to its evocative cowboy-style gathering name. Notes of spice, Italian meringue, and smoke gave way to the sweetness of jasmine and peach. The palate was rewarded with a whip-cracker of a mouthful of burnt toffee, macadamia, tobacco, and lazy, sweet wood smoke. The inspired blending of Rye, Bourbon, and Scotch has resulted in a virtuous snapshot of the art.
The last of our quartet, Rendezvous, was the closest thing to a dessert whisky from the West you can get. Your nostrils are penetrated by sweet, aromatic lemon, preserved apricot, clove, and cinnamon. Stewed apple, brown sugar, raisins, ginger, and coriander filled the mouth in a comforting and uplifting way.
How well did High West work with the food?
Ramsay's mixologists, with some very creative twists, used the various taste profiles and nuances of these four very different whiskeys to accompany an inspired tasting menu.
All of High West’s blends performed admirably with the breadth and diversity of the Lucky Cat kitchen dishes. From padron peppers, sushi, pan-fried scallops and ribeye to the most incredible Chilean Sea Bass. The latter buffered the soft, flaky spiciness appreciatively with a clever concoction of Rendezvous Rye and lemon and honey syrup, which I am still trying to convince myself is of medicinal value due to its silky, soothing flavours.
I also developed a soft spot for the High West Bourbon, with its caramel and vanilla nuances, adding a luxurious touch to ginger, Select Aperitivo, and Punt E Mes vermouth. After several of these 'High West Bourbon Boulevardiers', however, it was certain that had we been in Utah, some of my fellow guests and I would have required sledges home not skis after a fabulous evening of quality whiskey from 'across the pond'.
All photographs ©David Pearce
