Review: Smokeye Hill Barrel Proof Bourbon 5 Years Old

Last summer, we got our first taste of Smokeye Hill, the buzzy Colorado Springs-based whiskey brand notable for the use of heirloom blue corn in their whiskey recipes. David had a chance to review their impressive barrel proof rye whiskey in the fall, and now we’re finally getting to the third, and perhaps most talked about, whiskey in their lineup.

Like the standard bourbon, Smokeye Hill Barrel Proof is distilled on contract from a four-grain mashbill of yellow corn, rye, malted barley, and heirloom blue corn, a nod to the brand’s southwest origins that reportedly makes up more than 50% of the recipe. That spirit ages for at least five years in a mix of 30- and 53-gallon barrels with varying char levels from No. 2 to all the way up to No. 5, a full minute or more of charring that borders on incineration. While the base spirit remains unchanged in each cask, that unique barrel program presumably gives blenders a broader maturation profile to work with. Let’s see how it all works at full strength.

Smokeye Hill Barrel Proof Bourbon 5 Years Old Review

There’s quite a bit of ethanol at the outset here, and like the standard bourbon, some youthful notes come through initially. Grain-forward hints of warm cornbread and a little blue corn grist add a slightly savory edge to things but give way rather quickly to sweeter toffee, vanilla cream, and chewy caramel. At barrel strength, there’s more sweetness coming through than with the standard bourbon, but it’s dark and caramelized. With even more time in the glass, brown butter, pecan pralines, and caramel corn arrive.

The palate delivers barrel proof heft and heat right out of the gate, kicking off with chili pepper, freshly ground cinnamon, whole clove, and plenty of fresh oak and walnut shells. It’s a peppery warmth that goes straight to the nostrils before hugging the back of the throat. Once things settle down, caramel sauce, dark brown sugar, and dried orange peel fill the midpalate with a generous, silky sweetness. The finish kicks off with an unexpected zip of bright wintergreen and candied pineapple before eroding into an off-dry conclusion of pink peppercorn, oak, barrel char, and a little cigar wrapper. At cask proof, this bourbon demands some patience and comes across just a bit too hot in places. Still, it’s showing a lot of promise. Like the standard bourbon, it would likely do very well in a classic whiskey cocktail.

132.4 proof.

B+ / $90

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