In Charleston, S.C., there’s a distillery making waves without any gimmicks, shortcuts, or flashy trends. High Wire Distilling has embarked on a mission to make one of the most extraordinary bourbons in America, using a grain that almost vanished from the world: Jimmy Red corn. And, what they’ve crafted might just be one of the best spirits America has to offer.
The Rediscovery of Jimmy Red Corn
When High Wire Distilling set out to create a bourbon using Jimmy Red corn, they faced a monumental challenge. There were fewer than 1,000 pounds of the grain left on Earth. Just a few sacks—enough to fill a truck bed—were all that remained of this once-prized corn.
Jimmy Red had been favored by moonshiners in the past. The corn was dense, oily, and full of flavor, offering a richness that industrialized agriculture couldn’t keep up with. As modern farming systems prioritized speed, scale, and shelf life, taste became a secondary concern. Jimmy Red didn’t fit that mold and, as a result, nearly disappeared.
The Couple Behind the Revival
The founders of High Wire Distilling, Ann Marshall and Scott Blackwell, weren’t traditional bourbon insiders. They came from a background in baking, food, and a deep love for flavor. For them, flavor is more than a taste—it’s a story connected to the land, memories, and shared experiences.
Determined to bring this forgotten grain back to life, they tracked down the last remaining Jimmy Red corn and began planting it in Charleston soil. The rest, as they say, is history. They set out to craft a bourbon that defied the norm—one that wouldn’t taste like every other bourbon on the market. They weren’t just reviving a grain—they were reviving a piece of Southern heritage.
What Jimmy Red Bourbon Tastes Like
Jimmy Red Bourbon isn’t your typical bourbon with the usual notes of caramel and vanilla. Instead, it’s richer, textured, and grounded. The result is a velvety smooth sip with unique notes of toasted graham cracker, roasted corn, brown butter, nutmeg, and a hint of smoke. It’s a bourbon that tells a story—every sip carries the depth of its fragile first harvest and the gamble that saving this grain was worth the risk.
The flavors in Jimmy Red Bourbon are far from ordinary, a clear departure from the mass-produced bourbons found on most shelves. It’s a reminder that, sometimes, the best things are rooted in place and take time to create.
A Community Effort
The first harvest of Jimmy Red corn wasn’t easy. The fields were too wet for machines to handle, so the Charleston community stepped in to help. Neighbors, bartenders, chefs, and volunteers gathered to pick the corn by hand. It wasn’t just about making bourbon—it was about preserving a piece of Southern history and doing the hard work that others might shy away from.
As Scott Blackwell explained, it wasn’t about waiting for the ground to dry. It was about showing up and doing the work because this project—this revival—was worth it.
Why Jimmy Red Bourbon Matters
In a world where speed and shortcuts are often prioritized, Jimmy Red Bourbon stands as a quiet act of defiance. It’s hard to grow, expensive to make, and time-consuming to produce. But High Wire Distilling does it anyway. Why? Because they believe that flavor, history, and integrity are worth the effort, even if it means forgoing mass production and focusing on small batches.
Jimmy Red Bourbon isn’t just a spirit—it’s a symbol. A symbol of what happens when something is worth saving, when the process matters more than the final product, and when you fight for what’s good and true.
Where to Find Jimmy Red Bourbon
Because of its limited production, Jimmy Red Bourbon is released in small batches. It’s available at High Wire Distilling Co. in Charleston and a select group of retailers. But be warned: it sells out fast—not because it’s trendy, but because it’s real.
Once you’ve tasted a bourbon like Jimmy Red, made from a grain that almost slipped through history’s cracks, you won’t forget it. And you’ll understand why some of the best things in America are the ones we almost lost.
