Brian’s Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Straight Bourbon:
reviewed 22-March-2022
SMOKE WAGON UNCUT UNFILTERED BOURBON:
From its balanced, lightly spiced nose to its nearly sweet flavors, this batch of Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Straight Bourbon (Smoke Wagon UU) is consistent whiskey. But for those of us who like dark, earthy, high proof bourbons with a woody backbone, this is one to add and keep in the bunker. I look forward to enjoying this outside when sitting by myself on a warm summer evening, and when staring at campfire embers while reflecting on the day’s events. I need another bottle.
SMOKE WAGON UNCUT UNFILTERED VITAL STATS:
Category: Straight Bourbon
Company: Nevada H&C Distilling Co. Las Vegas, NV
Distillery: DSP-IN-15016, MGPI Lawrenceburg, IN
Mash Bill: 60% Corn,36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
Barrel Char: unpublished
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: nas
Release Date: Ongoing
ABV: 57.84% (115.78 Proof)
Price: $60.00 (MSRP 2021)
Bottling Date: 27-June-2021
Batch 74
Not All Barrels are Created Equal. Only the Best, Most Flavorful Barrels Earn the Right to Show Off Their Full Potential. This Bourbon, In Its Truest Form, Uncut and Unfiltered, Wild and Untamed, [is] Not for the Faint of Heart.
— Smoke Wagon Barrel Strength Bourbon bottle label
Learn more at Smoke Wagon Bourbon.
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into two Glencairns. Hannah and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.
Check out her review for this bourbon here!
SMOKE WAGON UNCUT UNFILTERED NOSE:
The first waft of Smoke Wagon UU is quite mild. However as my nosing becomes more deliberate, a little nip of alcohol tingles as barrel tannins and herbal notes of hay fade in and out. There is little if any fruit here, yet my nose “feels” the sensation one might get when smelling an empty snack box of Sunmaid raisins. As I work my way around our Whiskey Traits and Flavor Wheel, I sense faint cloves, nutmeg, and rye along with traces of bittersweet chocolate, rich vanilla and some burnt woody caramel. Along with these dark notes, there are hazelnuts as well as aromas of heavy old oak, hazy barrel char and even a small handful of damp soil.
SMOKE WAGON UNCUT UNFILTERED PALATE:
As I sip Smoke Wagon UU, I get a bit of alcohol tingle, which one would expect from a 115 proof whiskey. I taste barrel tannins and the herbal sensation of drying mowed grass. As with the nose, fruit flavors are scant but I do taste a touch of bitter citrus and the juice one might expect when chewing on a piece of old fruit leather. The spices are dark as well; cloves, nutmeg, pepper, and rye mixed in bittersweet chocolate. Sweet flavors of rich vanilla, woody caramel, and dark honey do come through but they are quite faint. But the woodiness shines in this whiskey. I taste bitter hazelnuts, heavy old oak, hazy barrel char and the earthiness of rich black dirt.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Smoke Wagon UU is quite balanced in its flora, spice and sweetness, but its dark woodiness dominates. The liquid is viscous, oily and easy to hold but it does have a mild and manageable tickle. As the Glencairn is lowered after each sip, a thick veil breaks into long clinging legs transporting the dregs back to the tawny colored pool, leaving behind big droplets and a nice even crown.
SMOKE WAGON UNCUT UNFILTERED FINISH:
Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Straight Bourbon gives a long, wood forward throat warming finish, rich with barrel tannins, heavy old oak, and hazy barrel char. The back of the palate and throat are treated to the same herbal notes and black pepper and rye detected on the nose. In addition I sense some faint bittersweet chocolate, rich vanilla, and dark honey which serve to soothe the throat. And when the last dram is downed, the woody haze of fresh cut plywood can be drawn from the empty glass.
MY RATING: 89/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 89/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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