Wilderness Trail 6 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon (Wheated Bourbon)

Excellent! Just not $60 excellent.

Cinnamon, faint hints, of apple and charred corn, more sweet than savory. Long finish but feels a little thin and sweet. Solid young Wheated Bourbon, I wouldn’t call it an exceptional value. Worth a try though.

Neat. Neck pour. Surprised this find this in my area today. I thought it was a distillery only release still. Next to New Riff, Wilderness Trail is my favorite of the young distilleries. I liked all their releases and have had some great single barrels this far. Excited to see what an extra two years has to offer. A very very rich caramel leads the nose. Surrounded by a honey graham cracker crust. Hint of pepper. Bit of peach with cinnamon. A deep leather. Nothing really standing out or drawing me in. It’s nice but just okay. Nice thick texture. Really coats. Super dark on the tongue. Cinnamon and leather. More bitter and tannic than sweet initially. That rich caramel stands strong throughout this entire experience. I mean strong. Calling it a caramel bomb doesn’t do it justice. That is the most intense and unwavering caramel note I have ever had. It lasts for minutes after the sip too. Starting to get a hint of oak up front now. Gosh it is just caramel. Oak turns into a hint of chocolate on the legs. Okay, I am starting to get that honey and graham cracker crust too. This is intense flavor. I was not prepared for that off the nose. My eyes are even watering. Once that note hits it does not relent for a solid 10 seconds but then when it wavers it still takes forever to go away. I’m not sure what to think of this. I am drawn to it but maybe not enjoying it. But I want more. Going to let this open up before revisiting.

Ok, this is a case of dont rate a bottle by the neck pour. First pop was bond, cardboard, youthful... and then bang! This opened up nicely and now could contend with Elmer T Lee. It’s no Weller Antique 107 (that’s what makers 46 CS is for). This is very good though for being only 6 years. This is a group that I’ve wanted to support for some time. That said, I’m not a fan of most wheated bourbons as the tend to fall flat for me. 6 year bottled in bond, 100 proof, 64/24/12 wheated mashbill Color: light to medium Body: in the glass it has a medium-thin appearance with sparse, thin quick legs. On the tongue it’s light, no burn but also doesn’t coat the mouth in any way, not drying Aroma: loads of wet wood, a bit of vanilla and some sour apple follow Taste: brown tobacco, allspice, a bit of barrel char, Granny Smith apple, vanilla, more oak Finish: mild tingle on the tongue but no heat on the mouth or chest, largely earthy with a hint of sour apple and vanilla What it’s not: - a great value? (but what is these days?) - full bodied or oily - especially complex What it is: - a craft, wheated whiskey - approachable and all day drinkable - light, slightly fruity with plenty of balanced oak, sweetness and just enough spice to keep it interesting I would put this up against Blade and Bow as well as Bernheim Wheat whiskey. It’s not as full bodied as a cask strength makers 46, nor is it as robust. The flavor:value ratio strongly supports Bernheim at $30. This is more well rounded as B&B, and if your willing to shell out another $15 to support a craft distiller then go for it. It kicks the pants off of Weller SR but at more than 3x the shelf price it should! Would possibly take down Elmer as well. The more I drink it the more I understand it. It’s a departure from the cask strength behemoths I’ve sought after but certainly is pleasant!

The 4 year very much underwhelmed me, young ,light and short. I would have thought that 2 more years in the barrel would have improved this whiskey on all levels. Alas, no. Mostly the same, minimally more there. I am rating it lower as this is $20 more for very little return. Wilderness Trail has upped the ante and is barreling a lot of this whiskey. The problem is they are still asking craft distillery prices. Not sure who is going to be in the market for craft quality, craft price whiskey that is commonplace in 4-6-8 years.