Hirsch 'The Horizon' Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Hirsch 'The Horizon' Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a 46% ABV (92 proof), 750mL high-rye straight bourbon distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana and bottled by Hirsch (Hotaling & Co.). The Horizon is built batch by batch on a traditional mash of 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley aged around five years — in most batches lifted with a small share of older high-rye bourbon (60% corn, 36% rye) aged six years and up — and every bottle carries its exact batch specifications on the back label. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 46% (92 proof)
- Size: 750mL (see applier flag — live tag says 1L, official bottling is 750mL)
- Distilled: Lawrenceburg, Indiana (MGP)
- Core mash bill: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley
- Blend: Batch-variable; core component ~5 years, high-rye component (most batches) 6+ years
- Style: Straight bourbon whiskey, small batch, batch number on the tax strip
- Press: 90 points, Whisky Advocate (Fall 2020)
The Legend's Name, a New Journey
The Hirsch name carries real bourbon history: in 1974 A.H. Hirsch commissioned bourbon from the old Michter's distillery in Pennsylvania, and those barrels — left ageing far beyond plan after the distillery closed — became some of the most sought-after American whiskey ever bottled. Today's Hirsch, under San Francisco's Hotaling & Co., honours that legacy by curating and bottling distinctive American whiskeys, starting with The Horizon in 2020. The sextant-and-compass branding and the words embossed on the bottle's base — "No Stone Left Unturned" — frame it as a whiskey for the journey, and the full batch disclosure on every label is a transparency pledge few sourced brands match. Find it on the Hirsch vendor page or browse the wider bourbon whiskey collection.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Classic bourbon profile — sweet cornbread and vanilla (brand notes), with dark cherry, brown sugar and a chocolate hint in the Whisky Advocate review. Palate: Balanced and warm — caramel, baked bread, cinnamon and oak, with mint and cashew butter depth noted by reviewers. Finish: A slight lingering sweetness over milk chocolate, toasted nuts and cinnamon.
How to Enjoy
The brand crafts it to be enjoyed neat or on the rocks; at 92 proof with a high-rye spine it also holds up properly in an Old Fashioned or Manhattan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same whiskey as the legendary A.H. Hirsch? No — those 1970s Pennsylvania barrels are gone. The Horizon is the modern Hirsch brand's own sourced Indiana bourbon, created in honour of that legacy and bottled with full batch transparency.
Why do the specs differ between bottles? Each batch is blended and labelled individually: the ratio, component ages and mash bills printed on the back label are specific to that batch number, shown on the tax strip.
Where is it distilled? Lawrenceburg, Indiana — the source of the MGP distillery's widely respected bourbon — and bottled under the Hirsch label by Hotaling & Co.
Batch-transparent, high-rye and honestly priced — pick up Hirsch The Horizon at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.