High Wire Jimmy Red Bourbon Review

Jimmy Red
Straight Bourbon Whiskey
High Wire Distilling Co
95 Proof
MSRP: $79.99
Review

Please enjoy our High Wire Jimmy Red Bourbon review by Ray Marcano.

I’ve never had a bourbon quite like this.

History

Jimmy Red corn, according to the High Wire Distillery website, was nearly extinct, as the legendary moonshine corn had dwindled to two stalks before a group of dedicated people brought the seeds back to life.

The only thing I know about corn is that I like it grilled on the cob. So here’s what High Wire says about the corn it uses:

“Jimmy Red corn is the most remarkable corn we’ve ever worked with. Nutty, sweet, and mineralic with extremely high oil content, the fermented mash produces a 3″ thick oil cap. We distill on the grain, so all of that oil is blended back into the mash and provides an unusually creamy mouthfeel in the distillate. The Jimmy Red whiskey is aged for a minimum of 2 years, creating a straight bourbon unlike any other we’ve ever experienced.”

Mash Bill & Other Specifics

100% Jimmy Red Corn
Sweet Mash
Char 3.5 American Oak Barrels
Aged a minimum of 2 years

Tasting Notes – High Wire Jimmy Red Bourbon

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn glass

👉🏻Nose: Sweet corn, honey, sugar
👉🏻Taste: Creamy, minerally, oily, honey, pepper
👉🏻Finish:  Warm, short, honey, vanilla, thick

Summary

My very good friend, Jonathan Macri, the dean of the Knicks Film School, wanted to send me a bottle of bourbon I might not have. That’s hard to do when you have almost 400 of them on your shelf. But he found one I didn’t have and never heard of.

At first, I couldn’t determine if I liked the Jimmy Red Bourbon. The mouthfeel is far thicker than anything I’ve tasted, and the sugary-sweet corn on the nose had me thinking this would be an over-the-top drink best to mix with.

But I was wrong. I came back to it and found it to be, as wine people say, approachable. It’s a far different taste, and I suppose that’s all due to the corn. But I found it goes well in tea (it makes a banging hot toddy), and it’s fantastic on a cold afternoon. The Midwest weather has been brutal, and a short shot of this does wonders on a miserable day.

Conclusion – Jimmy Red Straight Bourbon Whiskey

I’m glad Jon sent this to me. I never would have bought it on my own (it’s hard to find) and now I have something that few others do. It’s so different that I’d try to get a taste at a bar before buying, especially at the price point. I’ll happily sip mine and share it so I can get other opinions. I’d buy a second bottle.

Have you tried High Wire Jimmy Red Bourbon? What did you think?

We hope you have enjoyed our High Wire Jimmy Red Bourbon review by Ray Marcano. Ray publishes a free monthly newsletter, The Bourbon Resource. You can subscribe here. Would you like to read about a couple of other bourbons made with heirloom red corns? Then check out our Jeptha Creed Four Grain Bourbon Review and our Wood Hat Bloody Dapper Bourbon Review!

Bottle photo credits: High Wire Distilling

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