Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon

Batch 99 59.2% abv; 118.4 proof Open 2 months Nose - Strong caramel and cinnamon, baked apples, allspice, clove, light cherry, hints of anise and dill, and medium ethanol. Palate - Caramel apples, stewed fruits, loads of cinnamon and allspice, sweet cereal grain, peanuts or mixed nuts, herbal blend, spicy rye and ethanol. This has a very chewy mouthfeel. Finish is medium-long with lots of oak and rye spice, toasted nuts, baked apples, and dusty herbal grain on the back end. Smoke Wagon for a long time was my white whale in NC. Seemingly every rural ABC store had Smoke Wagon except when I stopped by, but luckily a friend picked it up for me in Albemarle. This is excellent high rye bourbon, and is the best MGP sourced bourbon I've had to date. Most MGP bourbons I've had have a consistent young, grainy flavor that is rarely bad but rarely stands out as really good. The bourbons I've had in this category are from Smooth Ambler, Penelope, Old Soul, and Pinhook. The Smoke Wagon adds additional layers of fruit, baking spices, and oak that make it a standout amongst MGP sourced competitors. Belle Meade is a close second. The 108.3 proof Reserve has a lot in common with Smoke Wagon. I know there are many other brands that have MGP bourbon, but unfortunately in NC we don't see a lot of those.

Dark brandy like darkness. Finish of simple syrup .

Honestly.. the palate is first pretty good. But after a second on my tongue it fades into what it really is, just hot MGP juice. Very boring finish. The bottle looks sweet though!... lol

Love this barrel. Slight pepper that reminds me of hints of rye. Wish I could find it consistently.