It wasn't that long ago we released our 6-year 100% Jimmy Red single barrel, but we were fortunate enough to get a restock of this special limited release just as we closed out 2024. This Jimmy Red Wheated Bourbon is High Wire's oldest release to date, aged 7 Years, and was made with a very special wheated mash bill. Blake had talked about tasting this product early on, and was anxiously awaiting the day it would be released. This unique offering is comprised of 17 barrels filled between February and November 2017 with distillate from a series of unique, experimental mash bills using both Sonoran White Wheat and Red Winter Wheat to accent their beloved Jimmy Red corn. Once tasting, this quickly become not just one of our favorite wheated bourbons of 2024, but one of our favorite Craft products all year long.
The nose gives me all these beautiful, fragrant fruit notes that remind me of the Still Austin Blue Corn a bit. Custardy and a bit floral, juicy cherry, jammy strawberry, and baked blueberry pie, rich cola syrup, and plenty of barrel char.
The palate is rich, coating, and spiced. Tons of chewy cooked caramel and rich cola syrup lay dense on the tongue, with bright citrus and berries exploding all through the palate. There’s a fair amount of oak spice at play, with this beautiful earl grey tea/London fog-like sweet, fragrant tannin continuing on.
Crisp spiced apples continuing long - great complexity, a lot to unpack.
The finish is long lasting and creamy, with vanilla custard, moderate oak, and plenty of spice (namely anise, clove, allspice) keeping it interesting well into the long finish.
