Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon

While searching for a higher Rye bourbon for cocktails (though I now realize Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered might be too good for mixing), I decided to try this that a friend highly recommends. I tasted it last night without taking detailed notes and was quite impressed... Although the proof provides an underlying ethanol presence, the nose has some pleasantly sweet caramel with herbaceous rye spice and orange pith. It smells like it will be primarily dry and spicy with a little sweetness. What an incredibly unique taste this is. It begins with sweet and gentle caramel but is almost immediately overtaken by bittersweet dark chocolate and cherries. The rye hits its full strength around mid-palate; leather and tannic oak deliver a bitter impact along with some tongue-tingling pepper, and as these flavors recede towards the finish, that herbaceous rye spice remains. The finish is distinctly dry. Leather and tannic oak conclude this rather enjoyable, albeit slightly chaotic and conflicted, bourbon. It's certainly unique without being unpleasant. That's difficult to achieve in the world of bourbon. I'd say it's well worth the cost for such a distinctive spirit.

Batch No. 207C Bottled on 06-29-2024 57.25% ABV; 114.5 proof Original price - $72.99; Sale price $39.96 Open 2 weeks Nose - State fair caramel apples, honey roasted peanuts; black pepper, buttered popcorn, tobacco, star anise, clove, medium oak, and strong ethanol. Palate - Peanut brittle, red apple, toasted bread, cereal grain, and clove. The finish is medium-long with pipe tobacco, oak tannins, peanut shells, light honey, black pepper, and medium ethanol. It's rewarding to revisit something that generated significant buzz and then faded, even though it has always been good. There's too much market saturation with MGP sourced whiskey, so new options are always emerging. The store's buyer informed me that Smoke Wagon bottles are sourced from China and have increased to $15 per bottle due to tariffs, leading them to clear out inventory and seek a new supplier. At $70-80, this is among the finest widely available MGP bourbons. For $40, it's an exceptional bargain.

BATCH No. - 175 A ABV - 57.70% NEAT SMELL - Rich, full aroma. Lots of caramel, brown sugar, maple, and oak. TASTE - Slightly viscous texture. The oak is most prominent on the palate, supported by a sweet, but less intense, caramel note. FINISH - Dry and Long. The oak continues on the palate and lingers for a while. Not the most desirable finish. BUY? - I've tasted this before at a restaurant (I'm not sure of the batch number) and I recall it being much more enjoyable. The aroma was very similar, but on the palate, it was sweeter and the finish was not as oaky. I'm not sure if batch differences are this significant, but I would still recommend it. I just hope subsequent batches are more like what I experienced at the restaurant. BUY AGAIN? - I'm willing to try another batch to see if I can get something closer to my initial experience.

Color: Light copper hue. Not many legs. The few present were quite light. Moving slowly but more watery than oily. Nose: I detect dark fruit. I also get some spice, but the dark fruit is most prominent. Taste: Certainly some spices present. I felt a Kentucky hug down my chest. On the second sip, I got almost all the dark fruit I smelled. It drinks very easily for a high proof. My mouth feels very oily, not dry at all. I feel like each sip shifts between being more fruit-forward or spice-forward. Finish?: A long finish of that dark fruit flavor. Water?: Not needed

Nose - has the scent of whisky Taste - profoundly smoky, wow Finish - throat is full of smoke, I am at a campfire Score - 3.75, the smoke is intense Scoring Legend 5.0 - Outstanding, unmatched to others 4.5 - Excellent, I will always keep a bottle in stock if possible 4.0 - Very good, quite enjoyable to drink, can consider as a solid choice 3.5 - Good, would taste again 3.0 - Average 2.5 - Acceptable, still drinkable 2.0 - Inferior, able to drink but not enjoyable 1.5 and below—wouldn’t drink again unless I am desperate

Batch 175C Bottled on March 20, 2023 115.4 proof Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium amber. Smell: Vanilla, caramel, a nice butterscotch note. Taste: Cinnamon red hots with more butterscotch on the back end. Finish: Not as intense as I would expect, medium length. Splash: No new flavors are revealed. Overall: 7.5/10 - Given the light color and the lack of intensity in the finish, this drinks like a young bourbon. The butterscotch notes were interesting, but I was hoping for a bit more depth for the price. I'll pass on this batch.