Zachary-Robbins
Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon
Bourbon — Indiana (bottled in Nevada), USA
Reviewed
January 17, 2022 (edited March 18, 2022)
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.
70.75
USD
per
Bottle
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I wonder how many of these young MGP blends are their high rye mash bill. The 9y Redemption barrel proof MGP I picked up was the low rye mash bill and lacks the MGP magic - their 10y rye on the other hand just smacks with the more complex wood and spice notes. Low rye MGP just misses the mark for me.
@BDanner My last couple buys of Pinhook and Old Soul make me want to avoid any MGP under 5-6 years from now on. They all taste similar, and for the prices I can get stuff I like a lot more. I actually was disappointed when I first opened Smoke Wagon, but a few days later I changed my mind. The issue was I had it back to back with other sweeter barrel proofs so it seemed light in comparison. On its own it's excellent.
YES! Times a thousand. The last several MGP sourced Bourbons that I’ve had taste young and corny. I mean like bad craft distiller whiskey. Especially Old Scout. I’m not a fan. I have this one in my re-taste folder. Not overly impressed with first taste, but hopefully it gets better with some time open.