Tastes

Assessed in a Glencairn spirits nosing glass. Aroma - Neat - Plum arrival, stewed dark fruits, quite a heavy ethanol burn on the nose, gentle oak with a very distant cognac refinement. Adding a splash of water . . . Warm brown sugar and perhaps a touch of rum cake. Taste - Neat - Vanilla bean and white cake icing up front, buttery, French oak, quite hot to be expected at 60%. Adding a splash of water . . . Much needed. Sweet oak, cognac, vanilla cake, custard, creamy oats and honey. Final thoughts - Super solid sipper. This one opens up beautifully with the addition of some water. The overall impression is confectionary while the wood and savory elements lie in the cognac territory. This reminds me a bit of E.H. Taylor small batch. Would pair awesomely with a cigar. Recommended!

Assessed in a Glencairn spirits nosing glass. Aroma - Neat - Very drying to the throat. Heavy wood, stone fruits, caramel corn, mild black tea, vanilla bean and distant cola. Adding a splash of water . . . This has perhaps intensified the caramel just a bit, but nothing else discernible. Taste - Neat - Sweet corn, oak and a touch of fudge. Not overly interesting. Quite smooth sipped neat, but only because of the very low ABV. Adding a few drops of water anyway . . . not recommended. This has only lessened the aforementioned. Final thoughts - Decent... but ultimately disappointing. I feel like a real opportunity was missed here with the ABV. I don’t understand why you’d bottle something with a 15 year age statement at only 43%. I think i can tell that this would be something phenomenal at barrel proof, and for the presentation, scarcity and sought-after nature, you’d expect more. The whiskey is decently bold in the flavors mentioned, and I’d go as far as to say it’s tasty, but it isn’t put-it-in-a-decanter good. I think this will make a really solid sipper to pair with a cigar, but at the rarity and price markup you see these days, I cannot recommend it unless found for a good price.

Assessed in a Glencairn spirits nosing glass. Smell - Neat - Very sweet and clean oak, dates, black tea leaf, mild cherry and distant rock quarry. This all, somehow develops into what I can only describe as BBQ pulled pork and sweet tea. Kind of awesome. Surprisingly gentle and not much nip on the nose for being undiluted and barrel proof. Adding a splash of water . . . This has brightened the very sweet wood and developed some honeysuckle notes. Taste - Neat - Clean, resinous arrival, unsweet baker’s chocolate, bold grain, not terribly hot for being undiluted. Adding a splash of water . . . Semi-sweet fudge, black sweet tea and very sophisticated oak. Final thoughts - Beyond stellar. Just absolutely as solid as can be. I have had my eye on this one for a year or so now, admittedly because the bottle is so damned cool looking, but I’m happy to report that the whiskey inside is damned cool too. The nose on this rapidly develops and is insanely interesting, while the flavor does just a few things really really well and boldly. Highly recommended!

Assessed in a Glencairn spirits nosing glass. Aroma - Neat - Polished mahogany and old sophisticated oak, stewed plums, brown sugar and perhaps a touch of old leather. Really nice. Adding a splash of water . . . Not a ton of development. Taste - Neat - Buttery arrival, complex wood, vegetable tanned leather and cherry. Quite hot to be expected and in need of dilution. Adding a splash of water . . . The aforementioned notes remain the same but with the burn toned down enough to taste th better. The cherry may be developing into more of an almond paste / marzipan territory. Final thoughts - Leaps and bounds better from their Straight bourbon offering. Not Overly complex, but quite powerful in the tastes and smells that’s it fulfills.

Assessed in a Glencairn spirits nosing glass. Aroma - Neat - Sweet corn arrival, mild marzipan, vanilla bean bordering on custard and very mild cherry. A pleasant enough, albeit typical bourbon nose. Adding a splash of water . . . This has opened up some fruit. Mild banana, green apple and dried apricot. Taste - Neat - a bit one-dimensional. Very resinous, quite sweet, young corn. Quite stinging on the palate neat even at the 46.25% ABV. Adding a splash of water . . . This hasn’t done it any favors at all, only dulling down an already pretty simple flavor. After the addition of water, I’m mainly tasting sweet vanilla. Final thoughts - All in all, I’m quite unimpressed. Smoke Wagon has garnered quite a following, but im just not getting it. Granted the favorites seem to be small Batch and uncut, so I may give those a try if I ever come across them, but as far as this expression goes, you could do a lot better for the money. If I had to compare this bourbon to another, it would be Lexington. Simple, typical corn and vanilla.

Assessed in a Glencairn spirits nosing glass Aroma - Neat - Very gentle for being barrel proof. Big cinnamon stick impression, hot black tea, mild brown sugar and a faint yet bright oak quality. Adding a splash of water . . . Much more pleasant oak develops with some vanilla custard. Taste - Neat - Old leather, brown sugar, and very mild marzipan one the exhale. It’s Notably smoother than most barrel strengths, but of course still hot and in need of water . . . That’s the ticket. Delicious brown sugar glazed dark fruits form with a warm cinnamon exhale. Final thoughts - Absolutely superb! You cannot beat this juice for under 40 bucks! Not the easiest and not the hardest thing to find. I dare say I noticed some resemblances to Stagg Jr. shining through In this with the dark fruit and brown sugars Highly highly recommended!

Assessed in a Glencairn spirits nosing glass Aroma - Neat - Dry sawdust, musty grape, earthy dirt and root scents and chalk. Not too terribly appealing. Adding a splash of water . . . Not a ton of transformation here, mainly just softened aromas of the aforementioned. Taste - Neat - Quite hot and nostril-burning. Very strong and dry wine characteristics, quite astringent and bitter. Adding a splash of water . . . A lot of the complexity, albeit not the most pleasant of complexities, is lost. Primarily now just picking up vanilla and honey, perhaps some fruit basket. Final thoughts - Very disappointing at best and quite off-putting at worst. There are some very powerful, savory aromas and flavors at play here, but unfortunately they aren’t great ones. The overall impression I’m getting here is some very young and rough whiskey that was aged for a short time with the Amontillado staves. It feels like a rushed cash grab. I’d purchased this whiskey on impulse because I’m a big Edgar Allen Poe fan, liked the tribute and was suckered in by the artwork. Unfortunately, the artwork is about the only thing great here. Not recommended.

Assessed in a Glencairn spirits nosing glass. Aroma - Neat - Fruit basket, mango, nectarine, orange, gentle & clean, with the faintest hint of cinnamon stick. Adding a splash of water . . . A bit of a caramel, peanut brittle type confection has developed. Taste - Neat - Buttery, oily, unsweet apple and banana and extremely mild tobacco. Adding a splash of water . . . A bit more fruit has shown up now from the nose. Dried apricots and mango. Final thoughts- This is a very approachable and easy-sipping bourbon. It isn’t terribly complex, but with what it does, which is fruit primarily, it excels at. It certainly doesn’t warrant the cult-following collectibility, but If given the chance to buy at MSRP again I would. I find myself enjoying this one with a tiny drop of water rather than neat.

Assessed in a Glencairn spirits nosing glass. Aroma - Neat - Fudge, gentle oak, graininess, black tea leaf and a VERY restrained peat smoke (think grilled meat). Adding a splash of water . . . This really has developed it. Huge hit of fudge, mild custard, brown sugar and burnt twigs. Taste - Neat - Absolute knockout. Prominent old leather, cigar tobacco, dark chocolate and a very refined smokiness (think smoked Salmon, not Islay scotch). Adding a splash of water . . . This has expanded on the sweet notes, now getting some vanilla custard, but unfortunately has also stifled the leather and tobacco, which I prefer. Final thoughts - This is absolutely stellar. I’m giving a score of 4.75 out of 5.00 because this is so damned interesting. I love smoky flavors and while I am a fan of Islay’s, I was really worried they were going to just basically make an Islay scotch that can be legally called a bourbon here. Not the case at all. The peat is used with such restraint here that it just really accentuates those savory tones in a bourbon like woods, leathers and tobaccos that much more. I DO prefer this one without water. I hope to see other bourbon’s try this technique as it’s created something very unique and in its own league in my opinion.

Assessed in a Glencairn spirits nosing glass. Aroma - Neat - Light honey, mild leather, slightly resinous, very gentle and clean. Adding a drop of water . . . This has brought the leather forward just a bit. Taste - Neat - Honey suckle, mild worn leather, slightly nippy, adding a drop of water . . . Mild vanilla, more prevalent honey. Final thoughts - This is an easy drinking little bourbon. You aren’t going to find a ton of complexity here, but what it delivers on (honey and leather) it does so in a very gentle and clean tasting way. For $35.00 a bottle, this ones a no-brainer.