Smokeye Hill appeared on our bourbon radar seemingly in a single day. The buzzy new model that launched final yr takes its identify from a rugged Arizona cattle ranch well-known for bootlegging throughout Prohibition. Homeowners Hazelwood Spirits Firm have household ties to the land, however they selected to provide their bourbon in Indiana and Colorado.
The bourbon is distilled in Lawrenceburg (most probably by MGP) from a four-grain mashbill of yellow corn, rye, malted barley, and heirloom blue corn, a nod to the model’s southwest origins that reportedly makes up greater than 50% of the recipe. Ageing happens in Colorado Springs in a mixture of 30- and 53-gallon barrels with various char ranges from No. 2 to No. 5, presumably giving blenders fairly a little bit of barrel variation to work with.
At current, the portfolio consists solely of a normal straight bourbon, and an unfiltered, small batch barrel proof. Each are aged at the very least 5 years. We’ll ultimately discover the higher-octane providing, which has gotten the lion’s share of accolades, however right this moment we’ve received ideas on the entry-level expression.
Smokeye Hill Straight Bourbon Whiskey Evaluate
The nostril is a bit youthful however nonetheless layered and beneficiant with barrel notes. Prime notes of creamed corn, blue corn chips, and chewy caramel are extra savory than candy with gentle undertones of seasoned oak and vanilla bean. A gently candy, bready character develops because it opens, virtually like a cake donut with a little bit of cinnamon sugar.
The palate showcases an impressively thick, spherical mouthfeel that properly compliments a wealthy butterscotch pudding word that’s, just like the aroma, extra savory than candy. That buttery, creamy ingredient dominates throughout the sip, permitting solely glimmers of wooden sugar, dried fruit, and cocoa powder that trace at a extra conventional sweetness however by no means actually ship. A little bit of barrel char and gentle black pepper add some vitality to the midpalate earlier than a heat, silky end of brown butter, caramel corn, and baking spice.
The bizarre dryness on this whiskey will seemingly be polarizing. Nonetheless, the exceptional texture makes it partaking regardless of the dearth of larger, sweeter flavors. In a sugary whiskey cocktail like an Previous Original, it does wonders for stability.
93 proof.
B+ / $70 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Smokeye Hill Straight Bourbon Whiskey
USD70
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