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Bourbon Review: High Wire New Southern Revival Bourbon

We review High Wire New Southern Revival Bourbon, a four-grain craft whiskey release from South Carolina with a mash bill that includes heirloom Carolina Gold rice.

OVERALL RATING

$70.00
  • Margarett Waterbury is a whiskey enthusiast and industry expert.
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New-Southern-Revival-Bourbon

Tasting Notes

About:

94 proof. My sample from batch 004, bottle number 449. Mash made from corn, rye, wheat, and rice. No age statement, and no information online about aging regime. $70 for a 750ml bottle.
Appearance:
Medium amber with a reddish cast
Nose:
Supremely nutty – walnut and pecan practically leap out of the glass. More focused nosing unearths some dark fruit like cherry and plum, cinnamon stick, mushroom, and a bit of high school woodshop – sawdust, linseed oil, and a faint waft of automotive grease from the garage next door. There’s also a lot of grain character here, though it’s not particularly biscuity – more like a cooked grain porridge, something healthily whole-grain.
Palate:
Mild on the entry, with soft notes of plum jam on fresh, untoasted white bread. The mid-palate takes an odd turn, however, with tons of spicy cinnamon atop a sweetness that alludes to Red Hot candies as well as a tantalizing sensation of mint and eucalyptus. The finish is of moderate length, and on the astringent, oaky side (I wonder if this is a small barrel release?). Conclusion: High Wire New Southern Revival Bourbon is a decent first offering from a new company. It tastes young, and perhaps a little rushed, but there’s a nice richness to the grain flavor and a surprisingly substantial amount of nuttiness, especially in the nose. The wood character expressed here, however, is neither nuanced nor well-integrated, instead offering the familiar flavor palate of cinnamon and sawdust that seems to characterize many craft releases. And yet. The good parts about this release solidify my belief that flavorful grains could make for a more flavorful whiskey, and I look forward to tasting more from High Wire Distilling Company. FINAL SCORE: 78/100
Finish:
Comments:

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Margarett Waterbury

Margarett Waterbury is the author of "Scotch: A Complete Introduction to Scotland's Whiskies" and a full-time freelance writer and editor specializing in the beverage industry. Her work has graced the pages of numerous publications, including Whisky Advocate, Food and Wine, Spirited Magazine, Artisan Spirit, Edible Seattle, Sip Northwest, Civil Eats, Travel Oregon, and many others. She also boasts editorial experience as the former managing editor of Edible Portland and as a co-founder and former managing editor of The Whiskey Wash. In recognition of her talent, Margarett received the Alan Lodge Young Drinks Writer of the Year award in 2017 and was awarded fellowships for the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers in 2017 and 2019.

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