Review: Smoke Wagon - Uncut & Unfiltered Bourbon

Whether it's their larger than life founder, or the fact that they are aging bourbon in Las Vegas desert, you've heard of Smoke Wagon Bourbon by now. A few weeks ago, the nascent brand landed here in North Texas and it had the bourbon drinking masses going wild. While I missed out on the drop here in Dallas (a common theme in my life), I was able to grab a bottle from the Great Sam Wildman as he came back from some time away in Upstate New York. Here's my review on the bourbon that everyone talking just a few weeks ago.

Appearance: Medium brown, solid amber

Nose: Lots of honey suckle: very sweet and savory. I'm picking up chocolate, dark figs, cedar wood. Despite the proof, there is little alcohol vapor. This is a nice nose with a pretty decent amount of complexity.

Taste: The honey notes are strong. It's sticky sweet with that honey from the nose and bright floral notes that really dominate the front out. It's got an outstanding texture as well. This whiskey ends with like a tawny port: sticky sweet but a very robust savory element behind the initial bouquet.

With Ice: The nose transforms from sweetness to savory short bread and lots of delicious baking spice, lots of notes of vanilla once this opens up. It's a lovely nose when you add some water. As far as taste goes, this is a delicious fruit bomb up front: confectionery sugar and all sorts of great notes for with a sweet tooth.

Verdict: 92/100. I'm a believer. I think this is really good stuff. It's got a unique nose and a novel taste that will impress you. This taste profile is unlike any MGP product that I've ever got to sample. I'm really impressed. I had a Desert Jewel Single Barrel a few months ago and enjoyed that one immensely so my expectations were high. This whiskey did not disappoint.