Deadwood Idle Hands 5 Year Old Heavy Rye Bourbon Whiskey
Deadwood Idle Hands 5 Year Old Heavy Rye Bourbon Whiskey is a 95.2 proof (47.6% ABV) bourbon from Proof & Wood Ventures, the San Diego blending house — a "Heavy Rye" style built on a 60% corn / 36% rye / 4% malted barley mash bill, aged at least 5 years in new American oak. The whiskey was distilled in Indiana, then blended in San Diego by Proof & Wood's Dave Schmier with Rob Morton, the former owner of the now-closed East Village rock bar "Idle" the bottle is named for. Two thirteen-barrel batches of 5+ year-old bourbon went into it. A 750mL bottle of high-rye bourbon with a San Diego story. Grab a bottle online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 47.6% (95.2 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: At least 5 years in new American oak
- Mash bill: 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley ("Heavy Rye")
- Origin: Distilled in Indiana, USA; blended in San Diego, CA
A San Diego Brand with Indiana Bourbon
Proof & Wood Ventures doesn't distill — it sources and blends, and it does both with intent. For Idle Hands, Schmier pulled two thirteen-barrel batches of high-rye Indiana bourbon, first distilled in 2015, and blended them into a 95.2-proof expression built for people who like their bourbon spicy. The "Heavy Rye" name is literal: 36% rye in the mash puts it in the upper tier of rye-content bourbons. The bottle nods to "Idle," the East Village rock bar whose owner co-blended the batch before it closed — a piece of San Diego bar history in whiskey form. Explore more Proof & Wood Ventures whiskies and the bourbon whiskey collection.
Tasting Notes
Nose: brown sugar, vanilla, baking spice, toasted oak, citrus zest, hints of dried fruit. Palate: caramel, orchard fruit, cinnamon, clove, licorice, raisin. Firm, spicy, and chewy (brand/retail copy).
How to Enjoy
Neat or with one cube — the rye spice needs no help. The high-rye build also makes it a strong Old Fashioned and Boulevardier base: 36% rye holds its own against bitters and vermouth where softer bourbons fade.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Heavy Rye Bourbon" mean? It's the product's style name: a 60/36/4 bourbon mash bill with 36% rye — a high rye content for bourbon — not a rye whiskey (bourbon must be at least 51% corn).
Who makes Deadwood whiskey? Deadwood is a Proof & Wood Ventures brand (San Diego, CA); this bourbon was distilled in Indiana and blended in San Diego.
How old is Idle Hands bourbon? Aged at least 5 years in new American oak; the first batch was distilled in 2015.
Grab a bottle of Deadwood Idle Hands Heavy Rye Bourbon online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.