Day 8 of DB's Bourbon Trail 2024 Advent Calendar - Smoke Wagon Small Batch
- Derek Burkhard
- Oct 27, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 8, 2024
Cheers and welcome to our 5th Annual Advent Calendar!
This month, we’re embarking on a high-end bourbon journey, reviewing 25 bourbons from award-winning distilleries across the United States. From December 1st to December 25th, we’ll explore everything from small batches to single barrels, all packed with flavor. Join us in toasting to another incredible year as we share some of our favorite bottles with you!
Our reviews are done using a Glencairn glass and neat, but remember, it’s your bourbon! Enjoy it however you like—over ice, with water, or in a cocktail. The key is to enjoy it your way and not let others influence your experience.
Enough of me rambling. Now, let’s dive into what brought us here!
Day 8 of DB’s Bourbon Trail 2024 Advent Calendar
SMOKE WAGON SMALL BATCH
Proof:
100 Proof (50%)
Distillery:
Nevada H&C Distillery Co. (Las Vegas, NV)
Distilled in Indiana
Message on the bottle:
"Our high rye content bourbon is aged in the heart of a century old brick warehouse. Barrels are hand selected to create a perfect blend that is smooth, delicate, and at the same time bold and intense. This unique complexity is achieved by combining multiple vintages of the same mashbill."
Price Point:
At DB’s Bourbon Trail, we use BoozApp (not sponsored) to ensure fair pricing on our bourbon purchases. Nothing is worse than overpaying due to supply and demand games.
Average MSRP:
$45.99
Fair Price:
$71.19
Shelf Price:
$62.78
DB’s Bourbon Trail Instant Buy Price:
<$49.99
Review:
This small batch has only been around since 2016 and has already, won 4 gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
To dive into the label a little more - I went to their website.
Released in 2016, our goal was to create a unique great tasting high rye content bourbon. The problem is that rye ages much faster than corn. So while our younger vintages had a big rye spice flavor (which we love) the mouth feel was too thin and it lacked the sweet, delicate complexity of a well aged spirit. Our older vintages had the smoothness and sweet notes that can only be achieved by moving in and out of #4 char and caramelized oak for many, many years, but the nice rye spice had been aged out!
So what to do?
Find the perfect blend.
We combined the two. The younger vintages maintain the bold spiciness of the rye, cut down on the tannins and keep it fruit forward. The older vintage brings in a creamy mouth feel with sweet aromas and taste notes that only appear over time from aging in a barrel. We hope you enjoy drinking it as much as we enjoy making it.
Masterly crafted for one of the best bourbons that you can find on the market for roughly $50 or so. Let's dive into the tasting notes!
Nose:
This bourbon greets you with a bold and captivating aroma that immediately draws you in. Dried fruit is prominent. Other notes that are beautifully intertwined here are caramel and oak adding depth and complexity.
Palate:
The smooth vanilla and caramel notes add a creamy sweetness that perfectly balances the robust oak undertones, giving it a well-rounded character. As you savor each sip, the subtle yet distinct presence of baking spices emerges, adding a warm, comforting finish that lingers pleasantly on the palate.
Finish:
An incredible balance of sweetness and warm spice that lingers, inviting you back for more. The vanilla cream and caramel sweetness perfectly complement the cinnamon, creating a perfect finish for my taste buds.
Final Thoughts:
Smoke Wagon Small Batch is always vying with Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare for my go-to daily sipper. At 100 proof, it delivers a perfectly balanced experience with robust flavors of caramel, dried fruit, vanilla, oak, and just the right amount of baking spice. The sweetness is beautifully complemented by a welcoming spice that keeps inviting me back for more. Smoke Wagon Small Batch has remained one of my top favorites for several years now.
Cheers y’all! 🥃
Let's Connect!
Have you ever had this pour?
Thoughts on the review?
Head over to Instagram or Facebook to let us know your thoughts!
Comments