Craft Whiskeys With Heirloom Grains, 7 Bottles to Try
Craft Whiskeys With Heirloom Grains, 7 Bottles to Try
If you've been drinking whiskey for a while, you've probably noticed something changing on the shelves. More distillers are ditching the standard corn and going back to grains our great-grandparents would've recognized. I'll be honest—I was skeptical at first. A buddy of mine brought over a bottle made with some heritage grain I'd never heard of, and I figured it was just another marketing gimmick. But after that first sip, I got it. There was this depth and character that just wasn't there in my usual pours. Turns out, these heirloom grains aren't just a trend—they're bringing back flavors that got lost when industrial farming took over. These old varieties might be harder to grow and more expensive to source, but the difference in the glass is real. Here's what you need to know about seven bottles that are doing it right.
Ironroot Republic Hubris Straight Corn Whiskey
This Texas distillery is doing something seriously different with their corn whiskey, using heirloom purple corn that dates back to the Aztecs. Yeah, you read that right—they're making whiskey with corn that's been around for centuries. The mashbill also includes Red Flint and non-GMO Yellow Dent corn, but it's that purple corn that makes this bottle stand out. Ironroot ages it in re-used European oak barrels instead of fresh charred American oak, which means the wood doesn't beat you over the head like a lot of bourbons do. What you get is this complex flavor profile with sweet red apple notes, tangerine, butterscotch, and a finish that's both spicy and sweet. It's won World's Best Corn Whiskey five times, which tells you something about the quality. The grain-forward approach lets you actually taste what makes heirloom corn different—there's more depth and natural sweetness than the hybrid stuff most distilleries use. If you're tired of oak-heavy bourbons that all taste the same, this is a solid place to start exploring what heritage grains can do.
Balcones Baby Blue Whiskey
Baby Blue, the first Texas whisky since Prohibition, is made from 100% Texas blue corn and aged in premium used oak casks. It brings a new level of sophistication to corn whisky while retaining the freshness of classic American distilling. With its round nuttiness, roasted notes, and refined complexity, Baby Blue offers a viscous mouthfeel and a soft finish, bottled at 46% ABV without chill filtration or added color. Buy it now!
Kings County Peated Bourbon
Brooklyn's oldest distillery is doing something weird that somehow works—they're using heirloom corn and then adding Scottish peated malt into the mashbill. The combination sounds like it shouldn't work, but the heirloom corn provides enough sweetness and body to stand up to the smoke. You get that familiar bourbon warmth with this layer of campfire smoke weaving through it. The heirloom varietals they source from New York farms have thicker kernels and more oil content than commodity corn, which translates to a richer mouthfeel. It's definitely not for everyone—if you hate Islay scotches, you'll probably hate this too. But if you've ever wanted bourbon and scotch to have a baby, this is pretty much it. They release it in small batches, so when you see it, grab it. Buy it now!
High Wire Jimmy Red Bourbon
Jimmy Red corn almost went extinct. Some guy literally found the last two cobs in a basement and started growing it again, and now High Wire in South Carolina is turning it into bourbon. The backstory alone makes it interesting, but the whiskey stands on its own. Jimmy Red produces less starch than modern corn, which means less alcohol yield, which is exactly why farmers stopped growing it. But that lower starch content means more flavor compounds make it through fermentation and distillation. You get this really distintive sweetness that's got some savory notes mixed in—almost like salted caramel but not in that cloying dessert way. It's got some heat to it too, bottled around 115 proof depending on the batch. This is the kind of bottle you bring out when you want to impress someone who thinks they know whiskey. Fair warning though—it's not cheap, and it can be hard to find outside the Southeast. Buy it now!
Hard Truth Sweet Mash Wheated Bourbon
This Indiana bourbon is doing something different with both their grain selection and their process. They're using heirloom corn and heritage barley, but what really sets it apart is the sweet mash method—they start each batch with a completely new yeast strain instead of reusing the backset like most distilleries do with sour mash. It's a five-year-old bourbon bottled at 100 proof, and the sweet mash process gives it this crazy long finish that just keeps going. The heirloom grains really come through on the palate—you get lush vanilla, creamy caramel, cinnamon toast, and even some banana bread notes. Wheated bourbons can sometimes feel too soft or one-dimensional, but the heritage grains here give it structure and complexity that keeps you interested. If you're a fan of Weller or Pappy but can actually find this on a shelf without paying secondary market prices, it's worth grabbing. The velvety mouthfeel is legit, and you can taste the difference that starting fresh with each batch makes.
New York Distilling Co. Jaywalk Heirloom Rye
This Brooklyn distillery is working with Horton rye, an heirloom variety from the 1800s that brings a completely different spice profile than modern rye. It's a seven-year-old single barrel release, and the mashbill is 75% Horton rye, so you're really getting the full expression of what this heritage grain can do. Where most ryes hit you with ginger spice, this one goes heavy on the pepper—it's a different kind of kick that works really well with just a cube of ice or a couple drops of water. New York and Pennsylvania used to be the breadbasket of American grain production before the Midwest took over, and rye was the grain everybody wanted for whiskey before bourbon became king. This bottle is basically a taste of what whiskey used to be like in the Northeast before industrial farming changed everything. It's a single barrel release, so availability can be hit or miss, but if you see it, don't sleep on it. The peppery character makes it versatile for cocktails too, if you're into that.
Jeptha Creed Four Grain Bourbon
This Kentucky distillery built their entire operation around Bloody Butcher heirloom corn, and their Four Grain Bourbon is the flagship expression that shows what they can do with heritage grains. It's aged at least four years and bottled at 98 proof, giving it enough backbone to stand up to the complexity that comes from using four different grains in the mashbill. The Bloody Butcher corn drives deeper cereal sweetness and adds cocoa and earthy notes that you don't find in bourbons made with commodity corn. What's interesting is how the grain character shows through before the barrel influence takes over—you get a fuller mouthfeel and more complexity from the actual ingredients instead of just relying on oak aging to create flavor. At around $53, it's priced right in that sweet spot where you're getting craft quality without the markup some smaller distilleries charge. The distillery is transparent about their grain sourcing and their process, which is refreshing when a lot of craft operations are vague about where their stuff actually comes from. The bourbon holds up well whether you're drinking it neat or mixing it, and the smooth, rich flavor profile makes it accessible even if you're new to the whole heirloom grain thing.
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