Review: High Wire Jimmy Red Bourbon Finished in Cabernet Casks
South Carolina’s High Wire Distilling is known for various brandies and Revival Rye, but its biggest claim to fame is undoubtedly Jimmy Red Bourbon. The house style whiskey is distilled from 100% Jimmy Red corn, an heirloom grain with kernels the shade of ripe pomegranate seeds.
Over the years, High Wire has expanded the Jimmy Red line to include bottled-in-bond and seven year expressions, in addition to various finishes utilizing peach brandy and sherry casks. But their latest twist is a doozy, at least on paper. Three year-old Jimmy Red Bourbon was finished in Matthiasson Napa Valley Red Wine barrels (cabernet casks) for a full four years before bottling, in this case at a robust 121.2 proof. Those secondary barrels were four separate 225 liter Taransaud French oak casks.
The project is in part a collaboration with the Southern Smoke Foundation (SSF). The foundation is a nonprofit providing financial support for food and beverage workers experiencing hardship, including those in need of mental health care. Bottles from one cask were made available to SSF Bottle Club members, who make an annual $1,500 donation for the right to purchase four exclusive releases per year. Two other casks of the finished bourbon are distributed through Seelbach’s.
Like all Jimmy Red expressions, this bourbon is distilled from 100% Jimmy Red corn and utilizes a sweet mash process. The bottle we tasted is from batch number 1437. Let’s dive in.
High Wire Jimmy Red Bourbon Finished in Cabernet Casks Review
The nose starts off with a touch of recognizable grain and corn oil, which will be familiar to repeat drinkers of Jimmy Red Bourbon. But scents quickly and forcefully layer on top of the grain, with a combination of dark fruit, dry chocolate, tart rhubarb preserves, and heavily spiced apple butter. That fruit especially builds with time in the glass, evolving from red grape and golden raisins to tart cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate juice; apple butter stays pronounced and among the most standout notes. Based on aromas alone, it’s a captivating, multifaceted build atop a base of Jimmy Red Bourbon.
A first sip brings a spike of ethanol heat, one that’s quickly replaced by cherry cordial (though the chocolate takes a definite backseat to the fruit). That’s followed by a tiny pop of crafty, funky earthiness, which I’m guessing is — at least partly — another result of the 100% corn mashbill. While that can sometimes be an overpowering flaw, here, the earthen component segues well into sweet dessert flavors at the midpalate: apple strudel, cherry cobbler, peppermint jelly, and strawberry rhubarb tart. Hefty spice joins around the same time, similar to what one might expect from a French oak finish.
Unsurprisingly, we’re left with a lengthy finish somewhere halfway between fruit and spice. Lingering wood spice, white pepper, and Szechuan peppercorns leads into cinnamon apple butter and a final taste of extremely dark chocolate.
From nose to finish, it’s one of the more fun craft products I’ve tried in recent months — and to my palate, the most standout High Wire product thus far.
121.2 proof.
A / $100
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