Smoke Wagon Rare and Limited Single Vintage Blend 8 Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch #1

VITALS:

- $99

- 118.9 Proof

- 8 Yrs.

- Batch #1

- Indiana

This is one of those bottles where I didn't realize how lucky I was to get my hands on it at the time. This came out at a time when Smoke Wagon was just starting to hit its peak. Only the early releases of Uncut Unfiltered had come out, and the limited release Desert Jewel, which was amazing by the way, had only just come and gone. 

In fact, when my local guy brought this bottle out of the back for me, I wasn't even aware that it was a thing. But, I was immediately drawn to the age, the proof, and of course the jingly blue medal draped around the bottle's neck (actually, it's more annoying than anything, but it didn't make me NOT want to buy it). This was one of those bottles that I held onto for longer than necessary, as it had been open for almost a full three years. But it was one that I didn't want to see go away--one of those once-it's-gone-it's-gone-for-good whiskeys.

The nose was rich and sweet, full of notes of toffee and semi sweet chocolate. It was like a Heath bar, but not quite as sweet. It also had a decent amount of oak on the nose, particularly for only an 8 year old whiskey. There was a slight cinnamon note to spice it up, as well as a maraschino note to add just a little bit of pop of rich cherry in the aroma.

The palate didn't quite match. I went in expecting something rich and boozy, like you might get at one of those fancy chocolatiers. Instead up front it was more earthy, with notes of damp pine and leather. It was, dare I say, funky. It also had a decent amount of oak up front to add to the profile. I was really thrown off by this.

Once past that initial flavor, though, there were some of those sweet notes I was expecting, like the rich toffee notes. The chocolate note came through as well, but more like a rich brownie batter than a bitter dark chocolate. There was even a black licorice note that, quite frankly, worked really well with the earthy notes.

The finish on this bourbon absolutely won me over, though. It coated my mouth in this sweet candy caramel that seemed to last forever. Mix that with the rich brownie note that stuck around, and it was just an incredible dessert of a finish. I did find myself going right back for another sip just to keep enjoying that finish.

This was a weird one to grade, because the nose didn't match the palate, it was funky but not bad up front, but the finish was absolutely incredible. But, I often judge a whiskey, at least in part, by how badly I want that next pour or sip, and this one was up there on that scale. 

Grade: B+

Smoke Wagon Malted Straight Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $90

- 119.54 Proof

- NAS

- Batch No. 26

- Indiana

I have certainly been a fan of Smoke Wagon ever since they came onto the scene.  It started with the Desert Jewel release, which was absolutely fantastic. From there I tried the Uncut & Unfiltered Bourbon as well as the Small Batch Bourbon, and I really enjoyed those as well.  Generally speaking, their bourbons have been fantastic and I've encouraged many a drinker to give them a try.

Being the rye guy that I am, I was naturally excited when Nevada Distilling began releasing Smoke Wagon ryes. They released some experimental ryes, but I wasn't willing to pay the price that those were commanding (just south of $300 if I can recall correctly).  But, the Bottled-in-Bond Rye and this Malted Straight Rye were at least a bit more approachable in price, though, admittedly, even the $90 price tag on this one is a bit steep.  But, I really wanted to give it a try, so in my cart it went.

The very first note that I jotted down in my Notes app when I brought this to my nose was "weird smell." Right up front I got pine nuts and black pepper. But, there was something mossy to it, almost damp smelling, like walking through a forest after a few days of rain. That wouldn't be so bad, but I also got a bit of a nail polish remover smell that really put me off.  I was not a fan of the nose on this one at all.

As to flavor, luckily that nail polish remover note wasn't there at all. There was, however, that pine note, along with a bit of a malt note, almost like there was a some Scotch blended in.  I guess that's not too surprising given the mashbill of 51% rye and 49% malted barley. That pine and malt, however, was mixed with something sweet, kind of like a maple syrup but not quite as sugary. This, again, was weird in that it kind of worked and kind of didn't.

On the finish I got a spicy and sweet cinnamon note, kind of like a cinnamon schnapps (taking me back to the days when it was fun to drink Goldschlager--I shudder at the thought now).  The maple syrup persisted as well, giving it that sweet and spicy profile.  In a weird way (apparently weird is the theme here), I kind of liked the finish.  The damp, mossy note went away, and even the pine notes faded letting the rye notes finally shine through. 

But, by the time I got to the finish, it was a bit too late. While it did get progressively better from nose to finish, in the end this just came across as, you guessed it, weird, and I certainly didn't feel it warranted the $90 price point.

Grade: C-

Smoke Wagon Uncut the Younger Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $50

- 114.44 Proof

- NAS

- Indiana

I have, quite frankly, been an absolute fan of everything that Smoke Wagon has been putting out, from their small batch bourbon to their Uncut & Unfiltered, to their limited releases and store picks, and even recently their bottled in bond rye. Whether it's their whiskey or its sourced, I don't really care.  It's all been really good.

When they announced the release of Uncut the Younger, it just seemed at first like an easy way to piggy-back off the success of Uncut & Unfiltered and release some young stocks to the market. But, as I gave it more thought, given the accessible price and the fact that it's still being released at cask strength, it's well worth taking a shot.

The nose was full of baking spices and fruit. Perhaps I'd attribute the fruit to it being on the younger end, but it immediately reminded me of apple pie. I got not only the baked apple but also notes of cinnamon and even a pie crust note. It also had a light caramel sweetness.  I could have nosed my glass forever with this one.

Right up front I got a nice cinnamon heat on the tip of my tongue, followed immediately by that pie crust note I was getting on the nose.  It was bready, in a sense, but on the sweeter side. I didn't get any apple notes (or any fruit notes for that matter), but instead I got a kind of chocolate hazelnut note, not unlike Nutella, that went so well with the cinnamon and pie crust notes.

It had a sweet and nutty finish that I also really enjoyed, even if it took a bit of a turn from the front-end flavors. It was kind of like candied cashews. It was sweet and soft and nutty, but also had a bit of a toffee note to it.  

I really enjoyed this bottle, far more than I thought I would! This is one that, given its general availability and approachable price, everyone should try. 

Grade: A-

Smoke Wagon Bottled In Bond Straight Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $80

- 100 Proof

- 4 Years

- Indiana/Nevada

I have been a big fan of most everything that Nevada H&C Distilling Co. has been putting out in their Smoke Wagon line. The Uncut and Unfiltered is consistently delicious, their limited bottlings have been great, and so far I 've really enjoyed the private picks that I've tried. So, I was very excited to learn they were going to start coming out with rye expressions.

The first that hit was their experimental rye.  Those were 9 year rye whiskeys where they experimented with different char levels and the like. The only problem is they were hitting shelves (so to speak) at $250 per bottle. I had a difficult time justifying that price, and so I passed. I did come across this bottle, which was at a much more approachable $80, but, of course, it's only 4 year old whiskey. I wasn't thrilled about the price, but I did want to give a Smoke Wagon rye a try, so I bit the bullet.

While this was distilled in Indiana, it wasn't the traditional 95/5 rye from MGP. Rather, this was 51% rye  and 49% corn, so nearly a bourbon.  Nonetheless, I still got some of those familiar MGP notes on the nose, including mint and vanilla.  There was a light cinnamon spice to it as well, along with a sweet crackery note, like graham crackers with a bit of added honey sweetness.

As for flavor, the first thing I noted was that this had a nice combination of sweet and heat.  It's a sweeter rye, for sure, though not surprising given the rye to corn ratio. It was very caramel forward, reminding me of Werther's candies. That graham cracker and honey note was there as well.

It was balanced out, though, by a light cinnamon note, though it was never all that spicy. It was more just the cinnamon flavor. The cracker note was fairly predominant and almost muted any spice.  I did not get any of the mint or dill notes that people so often associate with MGP rye, despite having gotten mint off the nose.

The finish was probably the best part, as that's were this became more robust and added a bit of richness. The cinnamon came across more boldly, kind of like a cloves note. That went really well with a sort of baked cherry note. But, of course, all that was paired with the sweetness that stayed throughout, leaving a lingering caramel flavor.

Subjectively, I tend to favor a good, spicy rye over these sweeter ryes. I have, however, had some of the more corn-heavy ryes that I've absolutely loved. This one, however, just leaned too much into the sweet notes for me, such that it lost much of its rye character. That's not to mention that the price was a tough pill to swallow. 

Grade: B-

Smoke Wagon Small Batch Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $55

- 100 Proof

- NAS

- Indiana/Nevada

I've finally made my way through all four offerings of Smoke Wagon that hit the shelves in our area.  A few posts ago I commented on the fact that Smoke Wagon, sourced bourbons from H&C Distilling Co. out of Las Vegas, was getting a lot of internet love in social media, but it just wasn't in Illinois. Until one day, four different versions managed to hit the shelves all at once, from the lower end Straight Bourbon to the full proof Uncut and Unfiltered to the well-aged Desert Jewel Reserve.

I went through them in no particular order, but I've absolutely loved each one that I've had for what each one brings to the table. Finally, I got around to opening the small batch. I look at this as kind of their regular, mid-shelf offering. It's a bit on the high end in price for a mid-level offering, but among the other Smoke Wagon releases, that seems to be where this falls. It does, however, come with the same cool bottle design that the Uncut and Unfiltered and the desert Jewel Reserve came in. 

The nose was full of sweet and rich caramel. I also got some nice toffee notes as well, along with a bit of milk chocolate. This all had a vanilla undertone that even had a slight spearmint and root beer quality to it. It had a little bit of spice, but with all the sweetness going on, it came across as more of a cinnamon sugar note than anything. Oddly, I also got a biscuit note that threw me off a bit.

The flavor very much followed suit with the nose. Toffee and vanilla were right up front, and those notes hung around well through the finish.  The chocolate flavor, though, came through a lot more than it did on the nose. It also had a light pepper spice that I noticed on the tip of my tongue with each sip.

About half-way through the bottle, the profile seemed to change quite a bit. I got a kind of a buttery and bready note, kind of like coffee cake. It even had that ribbon of cinnamon to go with that only seemed to appear every other sip or so. It also developed more rich and even tangy notes. I started getting some amaretto notes, and at times even an anise note.

On the final few pours those tangy notes turned into what I eventually identified as a distinct sweet peach tea note. Even on the final pours, though, the vanilla and toffee notes were still there, and even a bit of that spearmint seemed to linger. Quite frankly, it was the final two pours that I liked the most!

All in all, Smoke Wagon is putting out some great whiskey, and I don't think you could go wrong with anything in their lineup.  That being said, if I were to pick up another off the shelf, I'd probably reach for the Uncut and Unfiltered at $5-10 more, or even the Straight Bourbon which is a much better value. I probably liked that one equally as much as this one, if not more, and it was $15 less.

Grade: B

Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $55

- 115.2 Proof

- NAS

- Indiana/Nevada

Smoke Wagon has been getting a lot of love these days, at least in the blogs and Facebook groups that I've been following. And for good reason! So far I've tried their straight bourbon and their Desert Reserve 10 year bourbon, and both were pretty fantastic. The hype must have something to it.

So, I'd expect no less from their Uncut Unfiltered, which is essentially a cask strength, non-chill filtered version. It's got so many key words that make us bourbon dorks excited that I had to bring one home and try it. At first these flew off the shelves--I found this at a small gas station liquor store.  But now I see it sitting around pretty available with just a bit of effort and looking.

On the nose the first thing I noticed were baking spices. I got allspice and cardamom, as well as a slight anise. That anise flavor came across as somewhat of a dark cherry note at times. I also got a woody scent, like nutmeg, as well as more of a cinnamon-type spice, like cloves. In addition to this spice cabinet of flavors, I got something doughy and sweet, like some sort of caramel pastry. This was one of those whiskeys where the nose really had a lot going on, and at one point my wife was yelling at me, "Stop sniffing your whiskey, you weirdo!"

The flavor was absolutely delicious. It was very forward with notes of caramel and sweet cinnamon spice. It also had that same woody note that I got on the nose, a nice nutmeg flavor to counter the sweet caramel and cinnamon flavors. 

Dark cherry notes came through as well, but different from what I got on the nose.  They didn't lean anise, but rather the rich dark cherry that you'd find baked into a pie. 

I also got some fresh orange notes at times that really seemed to brighten up the flavor, particularly in the face of the decent burn and lingering warmth that this bourbon had. Don't get me wrong, though. That burn was not off-putting, but rather was welcome with all the other flavors going on here. 

And it certainly had that dessert-like quality to it. I got a distinct pie crust note, and all the other flavors seemed to mix together to give off a kind of peach pie vibe that was delicious, and matched very well with the consistent cinnamon note that I got throughout. I really enjoyed this bourbon and have been recommending it to anyone that has asked (and anyone that hasn't asked for that matter). This was an incredibly solid pour at a very reasonable price, and Smoke Wagon just continues to impress me.

Grade: A-

Smoke Wagon Desert Jewel Reserve 10 Year Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $80
- 104 Proof
- 10 Years
- Nevada / Indiana

I previously wrote on the release of the Smoke Wagon products into Illinois markets. I knew I wanted to get my hands on some, figuring I'd get around to trying the straight bourbon, the small batch and hopefully the cask strength. In fact, when they made their way here, I didn't even realize that a 10-year product was among the offerings.

However, thanks to a good friend who happens to work at a liquor store and who gave me a head's up on its release, I was able to get my hands on the Desert Jewel Reserve from Smoke Wagon, a 10-year MGP product, from a "hand selected" 35 barrel batch.  Of course I was excited to get my hands on a bottle, and I have to say, I do love the packaging that Smoke Wagon is putting their bourbon in. I dig the detailing in the glass as well as the wax stamp and the simplistic label.

The nose gave off a bit of its age, providing some wood notes and a decent amount of cinnamon spice. I also got a sweet caramel note. At times I thought I was getting bright orange notes. However, what seemed to stand out more were notes of Cabernet and amaretto, providing a rich, fruit-forward aroma that was not only rich, but had a certain tangy quality, too.  On the final few pours, I really seemed to notice the wood notes more.

The first thing I noticed when I took my first sip was the amount of sweet caramel flavor. It was pretty much all I was getting. I did get some cinnamon and pepper spice right up front, which I really noticed right on the tip of my tongue.

As I made my way through pour after pour, I started to get a lot of brown sugar, as well as baking spices and bread notes. It really was just about everything that I look for in a bourbon, taking all those great bakery spices and putting them into the flavor of this whiskey.

On the back end I got a really nice cinnamon and pepper spice, which I seemed to notice a lot more on later pours. I really noticed the spice on the sides of my tongue well after each swallow, and it caused me to salivate thinking of every next sip. I also got a light char note that only seemed to come out in later pours.

This was a delicious, rich and sweet bourbon that did an incredible job of not getting overly sweet. It was bottled at a great proof, allowing for a ton of flavor and character to come through, while still providing decent heat. I may never see this bottle again, but if I do, I'm not hesitating a second to grab it. This was delicious!

Grade: A

Smoke Wagon Straight Bourbon Whiskey

VITALS:
- $40
- 92.5 Proof
- NAS
- Nevada (distilled in Indiana)

I always do my best to try out the new brands on the block. I've heard of Smoke Wagon only due to an internet kerfuffle over the purchase of a barrel pick. The story, if you will, got a lot of attention and caused a lot of discussion on Facebook, Twitter and message boards, and at the time, I had no idea what Smoke Wagon even was.

But, as a result of all that talk, I quickly learned who they were, despite that they weren't in Illinois. But, it wasn't too long after that that I got a message letting me know they had hit -- this straight bourbon, a small batch, a cask strength and a 10-year. Initially this was the only bottle I was able to find, but with a little patience, a little diligence, and of course a little good luck, I was eventually able to track down all three to give them a try.

At the outset, though it has nothing to do with the bourbon itself, I really like this bottle design. I like the tall bottles, and the printed on label (rather than a paper label) is really eye-catching. I've been fooled by pretty packaging before, though, so I wanted to be sure to let the whiskey do the talking.

On the nose I got a bunch of corn and molasses. This gave it a sweet, grainy, and young character. There was also a kind of a fake cherry note and a sweet cinnamon note that reminded me of a spicy cherry hard candy (like a mix between a Fireball and a cherry Jolly Rancher). After it was opened for a bit, I liked it a bit more, as it was dominated by a dark caramel note as well as some welcome vanilla notes.

The palate, much like the nose, was young, sweet and corn-forward. It nonetheless also had a lot of that caramel that I was getting on the nose in later pours, as well as a light cinnamon spice. I did get some woody bitterness to it, as well as a light peppery spice. Luckily, I did not taste any of that fake cherry I was getting on the nose.

As it sat open for a while, it seemed to sweet up significantly.  Although the flavors remained somewhat soft, I'm sure partly due to the lower proof, it turned into something sweet and sugary. It reminded me of the caramel syrup that's drizzled onto fancy coffee drinks.

For anyone that likes really sweet bourbons, this would be right up their alley. However, for me it was a bit too sweet, and a bit too young. I wish it had developed a bit more spice. That being said, though, this had a lot of flavor and still stood up as a pretty good bourbon, one I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up at. I'm looking forward to trying and finishing off the other bottles in the line-up!

Grade: B