This two bottle bundle pairs both barrel proof expressions from Smokeye Hill, the Colorado craft brand that made national noise in 2024 when its barrel proof bourbon was named Bourbon of the Year at Fred Minnick's ASCOT Awards, beating titans like George T. Stagg and E.H. Taylor in a blind tasting. The set lets you taste the brand's signature heirloom blue corn across two grain profiles, both bottled uncut and non chill filtered straight from the barrel. Smokeye Hill draws its name and lore from a rugged stretch of the American Southwest, where Prohibition era bootleggers reportedly hung bells on their roaming mules to warn of lawmen rounding the bend. Both whiskeys are crafted to Smokeye Hill's recipe in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, then trucked to Colorado Springs, where they are barreled and aged a minimum of five years at high elevation in American white oak barrels of various sizes and char levels. The Barrel Proof Bourbon is a four grain recipe of heirloom blue corn, yellow corn, rye and malted barley, the first bourbon to feature heirloom blue corn, and it drinks rich and concentrated with caramelized brown sugar, vanilla, dark fruit, cacao, baking spice and toasted oak. The Barrel Proof Rye is the first rye made with heirloom blue corn, blending rye forward spice with that distinctive earthy blue corn sweetness across pine, antique wood, tobacco, orchard fruit and vanilla. Both bottles in this pairing come in at 132 proof, though because they are bottled straight from the barrel, exact proof varies from batch to batch. Bold, characterful and genuinely distinctive, they make an ideal side by side for the high proof enthusiast. Enjoy each neat with a few drops of water to open them up.
ABV / Proof
| Brand |
Smokeye Hill |
| Producer |
Smokeye Hill Whiskey / Hazelwood Spirits Co. (Colorado Springs, CO) |
| Category |
Barrel Proof Whiskey Bundle (Blue Corn) |
| Bundle Contents |
Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon; Barrel Proof Rye (Aged 5 Years) |
| Mashbill |
Four grain: heirloom blue corn, yellow corn, rye, malted barley (both) |
| Age |
Minimum 5 Years (both) |
| Barrel Proof |
132 proof / 66% ABV each (varies by batch) |
| Bottle Size |
2 x 750ml |
| Country |
United States |
| Region |
Colorado / Indiana |
Tasting Notes
Color: Both deep amber to mahogany.
Nose: Bourbon brings caramelized brown sugar, vanilla, tobacco and oak; Rye is earthier with pine, antique wood, tobacco leaf and orange peel.
Palate: Bourbon layers vanilla, caramel, honeysuckle, dark fruit, cacao and spice; Rye brings herbal rye spice, orchard fruit, vanilla and earthy blue corn sweetness.
Finish: Both long and warming, the bourbon sweeter and oak driven, the rye spicier and drier.
FAQ
What is in this bundle? Two full size 750ml Smokeye Hill barrel proof whiskeys made with heirloom blue corn: the Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon and the Barrel Proof Rye.
What proof are they? Both bottles in this pairing are 132 proof, or 66 percent alcohol by volume. As barrel proof releases, the exact proof varies by batch.
What makes Smokeye Hill unique? It is the first brand to use heirloom blue corn in both a bourbon and a rye, and its barrel proof bourbon won Bourbon of the Year at Fred Minnick's 2024 ASCOT Awards.
Is the rye a straight rye? The label reads straight rye, but the brand has confirmed a portion of its flagship bourbon is blended in after aging, making it more precisely a blended rye.
Where are they made? Both are contract distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, then barreled, aged at least five years, and bottled in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Where can I buy the Smokeye Hill Barrel Proof Bourbon & Rye bundle online? Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.
