Smoke Wagon Desert Colt

SMOKE WAGON DESERT COLT GLASS: Glencairn COLOR: 1.6 Mahogany NOSE: Received no aroma initially, but after about 15 minutes it opened up nicely, revealing Rich Vanilla, Hay, Dry Oak, Clove, and Cinnamon. Tasted Neat: Rich and lingering. Spicy notes of Clove, White Pepper, Orange Oil, and Cinnamon Stick. Some Vanilla appears on the finish, along with some Drying Bitter Tannins. A pleasant warmth develops, followed by a peppery aftertaste that lingers. It's a bit young and unrefined, but thankfully avoids the overpowering corn flavor that I've recently been detecting in MGP products. SPLASH (with water): A little water actually enhances the spice, with Clove becoming dominant on the nose and palate. It somewhat reminds me of underaged Wild Turkey. With more water, Cinnamon becomes the dominant note. CONCLUSION: While I haven't been the biggest fan of Smoke Wagon, seeing this No Water Added, High Proof, Non-Chill Filtered release for a very reasonable $36 prompted me to try it. I'm glad I did! If you enjoy a spicy dram, this $36 bottle is certainly a good option.

The batch I sampled was at 59.89% ABV. And you could certainly taste the full strength of it. This is a substantial and powerful spirit, with abundant barrel spice and considerable character on the palate. However, I can't say the aroma is particularly great for such a high ABV. It's typical bourbon oak and cherry, just more intense, but lacking much sweetness or other intriguing notes. Perhaps some pepper. But that's much more noticeable when tasting. And the burn from the ABV is intense, which I usually appreciate, but you should be prepared for it. I've had superior offerings from Smoke Wagon, but I remain a significant admirer of their work.

(Reducing score... It's behaving the opposite of opening up...) This is one of the best bourbons available for the price. Forget Uncut Unfiltered... It's as if they managed to remove the high-rye spiciness from Uncut, leaving only waves of creamy vanilla. I also questioned if the store or distillery had made a pricing mistake, but let's hope it stays that way!

The initial nose on the neck pour had a strong ethanol presence, but that was anticipated. I was pleasantly surprised, detecting many cherry notes and some chocolate. It's very well-balanced with a phenomenal mouthfeel. The finish is hot, with some ethanol returning. This is going to develop beautifully.

Very fruit-forward, especially on the nose, with notes of red apple and lemon. It also has a slight bitterness. The aroma is similar, featuring cherry and some vanilla, reminiscent of Red Hots candies. Spice and oak emerge on the finish. While perhaps not groundbreaking, it's quite good nonetheless.

The aroma is sweet, featuring notes of brown sugar, caramel, cherry, and butterscotch. The taste is rich, with hints of cherry, cinnamon, chocolate, pepper, vanilla, and citrus. The finish is spicy and warm, with notes of vanilla.