Smokeye Hill Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the flagship expression from the Colorado craft brand that made national headlines in 2024, when its barrel proof sibling was named Bourbon of the Year at Fred Minnick's ASCOT Awards. This 93 proof bottling shares the same DNA in a smoother, more approachable form, and many drinkers feel it is where the recipe truly sings. It is a four grain bourbon built on a proprietary mash bill of heirloom blue corn, yellow corn, rye and malted barley, making Smokeye Hill the first bourbon to feature heirloom blue corn, a varietal prized by the indigenous peoples of the Southwest for centuries that lends a distinctive floral, earthy richness. The brand draws its name and story 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. The whiskey is crafted to Smokeye Hill's recipe in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, then trucked to Colorado Springs, where it is barreled and aged a minimum of five years at high elevation in new American white oak barrels of various sizes and char levels, and bottled non chill filtered. It pours a warm amber and opens with an inviting nose of caramelized brown sugar, vanilla, tobacco and oak. The palate is smooth and nuanced, layering vanilla, caramel and honeysuckle with hints of dark fruit, cacao, spice and oak, well balanced for full flavor and easy sipping at 93 proof. The finish is smooth and long, with lingering vanilla and nougat. Versatile and genuinely likable, it makes an excellent everyday sipping bourbon and an equally good base for a classic cocktail. Enjoy it neat, on the rocks, or in an Old Fashioned or Manhattan.
ABV / Proof
| Brand |
Smokeye Hill |
| Producer |
Smokeye Hill Whiskey / Hazelwood Spirits Co. (Colorado Springs, CO) |
| Category |
Straight Bourbon (Blue Corn) |
| Mashbill |
Four grain: heirloom blue corn, yellow corn, rye, malted barley |
| Age |
5 Years (minimum) |
| Distillation |
Contract distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana; matured in Colorado Springs |
| Maturation |
New American white oak (30 & 53 gallon, various chars); non chill filtered |
| ABV |
46.5% |
| Proof |
93 |
| Bottle Size |
750ml |
| Country |
United States |
| Region |
Colorado / Indiana |
Tasting Notes
Color: Warm amber.
Nose: Caramelized brown sugar, vanilla, tobacco and oak.
Palate: Smooth vanilla, caramel and honeysuckle with hints of dark fruit, cacao, spice and oak.
Finish: Smooth and long with lingering vanilla and nougat.
FAQ
What makes Smokeye Hill Straight Bourbon special? It is a four grain bourbon made with heirloom blue corn, the first bourbon to feature the varietal, from the brand whose barrel proof won Bourbon of the Year at the 2024 ASCOT Awards.
What proof is it? It is bottled at 93 proof, which is 46.5 percent alcohol by volume, and it is non chill filtered.
What is the mash bill? A proprietary four grain recipe of heirloom blue corn, yellow corn, rye and malted barley.
Where is it made? It is contract distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, then barreled, aged at least five years and bottled in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
How should I drink it? Neat, on the rocks, or in a classic cocktail like an Old Fashioned or Manhattan.
Where can I buy Smokeye Hill Straight Bourbon Whiskey online? Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.
