Review: High Wire Jimmy Red Wheated Bourbon 7 Years Old
Situated in Charleston, South Carolina, High Wire Distilling centers its bourbon around an heirloom variety of corn known as Jimmy Red. While most bourbons utilize bulk commodity grain with relatively homogenous profiles, this whiskey relies on corn with a much higher sugar content, which sets it apart. The mashbill is constituted of 79% Jimmy Red corn, 12% wheat, and 9% malted barley. To be more specific, the batched wheated bourbon adopts both red wheat and Sonoran wheat, but these are not mingled together in the same mashbill. Both varieties of wheat are used independently to make up the 12% wheat component each mashed and distilled separately. High Wire runs a slow, sweet mash fermentation over a period of roughly one week, with barrels featuring mashbills from both varieties of wheat were blended together subsequent to maturation. Barrels with 7 years of maturation date back to the primal days of High Wire Distilling, distilled on its original Kothe 2000 liter hybrid still. Distillate comes off the still between 150 and 153 proof and entered barrels at 109 to 110 proof. High Wire opted for barrels with a #3 char and toasted heads.
When asked to name a popular wheated bourbon, Weller Antique is likely to come to mind for many. Much like Weller Antique, High Wire Jimmy Red Wheated Bourbon packs a similar age along with an identical proof of 107. High Wire comes with a much stiffer price than Weller Antique, but does Jimmy Red have the potential to become the next cult favorite wheater? Let’s find out.
Sweetness from the wheat is promptly on display as the scent of toffee and molasses matriculate. Gentle sweetness is balanced by mild tobacco, red apples, and trace amounts of cinnamon red hots. Debuting with a wildly enticing nose, balanced sweetness extends to the palate by way of butterscotch and unmistakable Golden Grahams breakfast cereal. As the encounter advances, notes of nutmeg and burnt caramel protrude, with a medium viscosity. Brown sugar cake frosting ushers in the finish, quickly met with further nutmeg and the genial breadiness of frosted wheat breakfast cereal. The totality of the experience lingers on and on with a low sweet simmer.
High Wire knocked it out of the park with this one. The sweetness is ever-present, but never out of balance. Veteran whiskey enthusiasts often roll their eyes at the use of smooth when interpreting whiskey, but the word is altogether appropriate in this instance. From start to finish, Jimmy Red Wheated Bourbon is an inviting experience. The only legitimate drawback is a price tag reading $130. Despite the high level of quality, craft distillers are going to struggle to get consumers to drop that amount of coin on a bourbon matured for 7 years. While High Wire cut the price from an original $149 before launch, it’s still a bit on the high side. Nonetheless, it has the potential for a cult following.
107 proof.
A / $130 / highwiredistilling.com
High Wire Jimmy Red Wheated Bourbon 7 Years Old
$130
