High Wire Distilling: Charleston, Jimmy Red Bourbon and Visitor Guide
High Wire Distilling connects Charleston whiskey with the revival of Southern grain varieties. Its best-known bourbon uses Jimmy Red corn, while other releases explore bonding, wheat and finishing casks.
The story is about raw materials as well as oak. A bourbon made with Jimmy Red corn, a wheated seven-year release and a sherry-finished whiskey should remain separate bottle identities, even when they come from the same distillery.
High Wire Distilling Co. at a glance
Key fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Location | 311 Huger Street, Charleston, South Carolina |
Established | 2013 |
Founders | Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall |
Ingredient focus | Heritage grains and Southern agriculture |
Flagship | Jimmy Red Straight Bourbon |
Other releases | Bonded, wheated and cask-finished expressions |
Tours | Scheduled Thursday to Saturday; booking encouraged |
Official website | highwiredistilling.com |
Research checked 26 October 2026. Visitor schedules, bottle editions and availability can change.
In this guide
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High Wire Distilling Co.: history and development
Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall established High Wire in 2013. Their official account connects the project with earlier experience in food and organic baking, bringing an ingredient-led perspective to distilling.
Jimmy Red, a red-coloured landrace corn associated with the Charleston area, became central to the whiskey project. The producer describes working with growers and researchers to rebuild a reliable seed supply rather than treating the grain simply as a marketing name.
The present Huger Street operation combines production with a visitor programme. Historical photographs or older addresses should be treated in context, while current visit information comes from the producer's own booking page.
People, ownership and identity
The founders' food background helps explain the interest in grain flavour before a spirit reaches the barrel. Farming relationships and seed preservation form part of the wider production story.
The catalogue now includes more than the standard Jimmy Red bourbon. The named wheat and finished releases need individual specifications, and a product image should be attached only when its label matches the expression being discussed.
How the whiskey is made
The flagship Jimmy Red bourbon uses 100% Jimmy Red corn and is described as aged for at least four years in charred American oak. That minimum is not automatically the exact label age of every batch.
The Bottled-in-Bond release is a separate 100-proof expression. The sherry finish uses a younger bourbon base followed by an additional period in Oloroso casks; the producer specifies that sequence rather than suggesting all maturation occurred in sherry wood.
The seven-year wheated release is another distinct recipe. Comparing these bottles means comparing grain, maturation and strength together, not assigning one generic tasting description across the brand.
Whiskey range and bottle identities
The details below refer to the named expressions and checked sources, not a promise of current retailer stock. Producer descriptions are separate from personal Whisky Clan reviews.
Expression | Documented specification |
|---|---|
High Wire Jimmy Red Straight Bourbon | 47.5% ABV from 95 proof, 750 ml. 100% Jimmy Red corn; at least four years in char 3.5 American oak. |
High Wire Jimmy Red Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon | 50% ABV from 100 proof, 750 ml. Producer specifies a minimum of four years. |
High Wire Jimmy Red Sherry Cask Finish | 46.5% ABV from 93 proof, 750 ml. Three-year bourbon followed by six months in Oloroso casks. |
High Wire Wheated 7 Year | 7 years, 53.5% ABV from 107 proof, 750 ml. Distinct wheated release. |
High Wire Jimmy Red Straight Bourbon
Producer summary: sweet grain, cinnamon, vanilla and maple.
Minimum four years is not assumed to be a fixed label age for every batch.
Release milestones and recognition
The seed-revival work and the expansion of the whiskey range are the most useful milestones for understanding High Wire. The producer's catalogue demonstrates distinct recipes rather than a single bourbon sold at different prices.
Published tasting descriptions on the product pages are producer notes. Whisky Clan has summarised selected descriptors with attribution and has not assigned its own score or implied a personal tasting.
Visiting and current practical information
The official visitor page lists tours Thursday through Saturday at noon, 2pm, 4pm and 6pm, with reservations encouraged. At this check the tour fee is $10, and the page explicitly says tastings are not included in that tour price.
Private arrangements need separate contact. Check the live timetable, age rules, accessibility and tasting options before travelling to Huger Street. The wider regional links below are comparisons, not a claim that all are close to Charleston.
Explore more Whisky Clan distillery guides
These regional and production comparisons keep the next stage of your research within Whisky Clan. They are not a claim that every venue is a short drive away.
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Have you visited, found a label variant or spotted an official update? Send the source or your experience through our contribution form. Suggestions are checked before publication; no tasting score is assumed from a submission.
Frequently asked questions
Where is High Wire Distilling?
At 311 Huger Street in Charleston, South Carolina.
What is Jimmy Red?
A heritage corn variety used for High Wire’s named bourbon, not a type of oak cask.
Is the sherry-finished release entirely matured in sherry wood?
No. The producer describes three-year bourbon followed by six months in Oloroso casks.
Does the tour price include a tasting?
The current official visitor page says tastings are not included in the listed tour price.
Sources and photograph credits
Official producer pages and other identified sources were checked on 26 October 2026. External links and image credits are kept here rather than interrupting the guide.
High Wire Distilling, official production photograph.
High Wire Distilling, official Jimmy Red bourbon photograph.
About the author
 | Filip Janczak Storyteller, drinker and explorer of all things whisky. Read more about the person behind Whisky Clan and explore additional reviews and distillery guides. |
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