James Beard Award winner
Scott Blackwell
- Discipline
- James Beard Award winner
Portrait of Scott Blackwell
i. Biography
At High Wire Distilling Co in Charleston, SC, the work has stayed anchored in grain, texture, and place. Scott Blackwell, as cofounder, has treated Jimmy Red Bourbon as a case study in that discipline: a Southern-inspired whiskey built with revived heirloom Jimmy Red corn and shaped by attention to the ingredient before the bottle. In his words, the point stays simple: “Being a food person, it always starts with the ingredient.”
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Where They Are Now
As owner/distiller, Scott Blackwell keeps returning to the flavoring grain and to the practical work of drawing character out with care. “People kept talking about the flavoring grain. That emphasis gives Jimmy Red Bourbon its structure: the whiskey reads as agricultural as much as distilling, with place and raw material doing the heavy lifting.
Signature
Jimmy Red Bourbon is the clearest expression of Scott Blackwell’s approach at High Wire Distilling Co. Built with revived heirloom Jimmy Red corn, it carries a terroir-driven, Southern-inspired profile that keeps the grain at the center of the conversation. The whiskey’s purpose is plain: to show what happens when the ingredient is treated as the point of origin, not a supporting detail.
In Their Words “Being a food person, it always starts with the ingredient.” “People kept talking about the flavoring grain.”
FAQ
Asked of Scott
What is Scott Blackwell's current role?
Scott Blackwell is Owner/Distiller.
What recognition has Scott Blackwell received?
James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional (semifinalist/finalist) (2017).
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