Valley Tan
The name valley tan originally meant the leather made by the Mormon pioneers - eventually it applied to anything not imported from the States, in other words “homemade.” The local homemade whiskey was also called Valley Tan, of which Mark Twain wrote (“Roughing It” 1871): “the exclusive Mormon refresher… valley tan… is a kind of whisky, or first cousin to it; is of Mormon invention and manufactured only in Utah. Tradition says it is made of [imported] fire and brimstone. If I remember rightly, no public drinking saloons were allowed in the kingdom by Brigham Young, and no private drinking permitted among the faithful, except they confined themselves to Valley Tan.” High West’s Valley Tan is a soft, silky and sexy oat whiskey aged in used cooperage for less than 2 years, allowing the delicate oaten flavor to develop into a delicious sipper. The mugshot on the front label is Porter Rockwell, an early Valley Tan fan, frontiersman, one of Utah Territory’s earliest lawmen and reputed Mormon “Destroying Angel” [Twain explains: “Destroying Angels as I understand it, are Latter-Day Saints who are set apart by the church to conduct permanent disappearances of obnoxious citizens.”]. The famous explorer Captain Richard F. Burton drank with Old Port and wrote: “Rockwell…pulled out a dollar and sent to the neighboring distillery for a bottle of Valley Tan... We were asked to join him in a ‘squar’ drink,’ which means spirits without water. Of these, we had at least four, which, however, did not shake Mr. Rockwell’s nerve, and then he sent out for more, meanwhile telling us of his last adventure.” So…please have a ‘squar’ drink and contemplate your next visit to the High West.
Valley Tan is best enjoyed as a 'Squar' drink - meaning without water. (Neat)
Valley Tan is a kind of whisky, or first cousin to it. Labeled as a Mormon
invention and manufactured only in Utah. Tradition says it is made of
[imported] fire and brimstone.
Valley Tan is High West's first aged whiskey for sale and is also Utah’s First Aged Oat Whiskey. Valley Tan was aged less than 2 years in a 2nd fill Rye barrel. The mash bill consists of 85% Oat and 15% Malted Barley.
