Review #242: A Midwinter Nights Dram Act 13

MASH BILL: Undisclosed

AGE: NAS

PROOF: 98.6

COST: $150 for 750mL bottle

Here it is early spring and I’m just now getting around to reviewing this bottle. But we got a nice little cold snap bringing temps below freezing again, so I poured this up in the spirit of winter! I think most people know the schtick with Midwinter Nights Dram at this point, and not much has changed with this 2025 release. It’s a blend of MGP and High West rye whiskies that are married and then finished in port wine barrels. I’ve been a fan of this release for years, however, the last few years haven’t quite been as tasty as some of the older releases.

Since 2021, the price has continued to ratchet up from sub-$100 for this annual release to over $150 for Act 13. While inflation is a thing, the whiskey itself still needs to improve over the years to justify the price increase. With it still having no age statement,still not being 100% High West distillate (not that anything is wrong with MGP), and (subjectively) ratings trending down over the last few years, there truly is a disconnect that most of the American whiskey community has with MWND pricing. And as other producers are releasing very similar expressions for less than half the price of MWND, it’s hard to argue against the public opinion.

However, I still like this release. I do agree the last few years haven’t quite wowed me, but it’s still a rather tasty pour with its flavor profile just blending right in with the Christmas season. But, I would be lying if I didn’t say my enjoyment of it is somewhat romanticized by the whole package of this release and not just the juice inside. The name alone plays a mental game on most people as they envision enjoying it on a snowy winters night sitting beside a roaring fire in a cabin somewhere. (Just me? Cool…) Without further ado, let me strip away the romance of this bottle, separate all the chatter about how it’s never been great since its price has increased, and forget about how past releases have stole my heart right at the end of the year (all easier said than done). Let’s just look at this whiskey for what it is: a rye whiskey finished in port barrels.

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn

APPEARANCE: Old oak (1.8), thick, oily looking with a beautiful ring of beads that take a good 15 seconds to coalesce and make the first legs.

NOSE: As with past releases, this nose is intoxicating. Vanilla ice cream topped with copious amounts of dried figs and a spiced plum reduction. A foundation of sweet oak, cinnamon, allspice, and black pepper support the sweeter notes. Ginger candied in brown sugar and a touch of blackberry show up later in the sip. This really should be made into a candle.

PALATE: Thick, full bodied mouthfeel. The rye whiskey spice is not lost amongst the sweeter notes and shows up in force right away, prickling the insides of my mouth with notes of ginger, cinnamon, and clove. There is a drying, tannic oak that saturates the palate before it is washed in a bath of brown sugar simple syrup, toasted vanilla beans, prunes, raisins, and figs. The amount of ginger and tannic oak on the palate can’t be understated though. It brings a sort of bright woodiness to Act 13 that I haven’t experienced I the past releases.

FINISH: A tannic, spicy finish with some subtle sweetness. Medium to long in length, it starts off with tannic oak, toasted rye grain, and burnt vanilla beans. Cinnamon and clove carry over from the palate, and as the spicier notes start to mellow out, a subtle brown sugar and fig note appear. The tannic oak eventually wins out though and brings this to a close along with a warming hug.

RATING: 7.6/10

OVERALL: Just focusing on the whiskey here at hand, it’s still a great whiskey! I do think the nose was significantly elevated over the palate and the finish, but there’s still a lot of complexity throughout this sip. For this particular release, the spice and oak on the palate was a bit stronger than it has been I the past. When you look at where you started with the dark, sweet nose, and ended with the tannic, spicy finish, it seems like you took quite the journey.

All that said, I do feel like the value isn’t here anymore. There are just too many port finished rye whiskies for $50-$80 nowadays that are fantastic pours on their own such as Sagamore and Cedar Ridge. And if you’re particularly enjoying the MGP rye (because let’s face it, MGP rye is some damn good whiskey), there are plenty of NDPs that offer port finished MGP rye for about the same $50-$80 price range such as Copper & Cask. In general, MWND does need to make a change to improve the value with the current $150+ SRP, but it’s still a great whiskey that I think is owed a lot of respect for bringing port finished rye whiskey into the spot light over the past decade.

 

1 | Disgusting | see my 1/10 ratings

2 | Poor | see my 2/10 ratings

3 | Bad | see my 3/10 ratings

4 | Sub-par | see my 4/10 ratings

5 | Good | see my 5/10 ratings

6 | Very Good | see my 6/10 ratings

7 | Great | see my 7/10 ratings

8 | Excellent | see my 8/10 ratings

9 | Incredible | see my 9/10 ratings

10 | Perfect | see my 10/10 ratings

 

Check out all my reviews: Woodgrain & Whiskey.