Review by: Raygun

Like many whiskey brands, Smoke Wagon sources whiskey from MGP. They then age it themselves in Nevada. I assume they plan to distill their own whiskey or are already doing it, but it’s not entirely clear. Their Uncut Unfiltered release was pretty nice. This is the entry level, diluted down to 46.25%. This comes from the top two floors of their warehouse. Reviewed from a sample thanks to Ricebowl. Rested about 10 minutes.

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Distillery: MGP  

Bottler/Brand: Nevada H & C Distilling, Smoke Wagon  

Region/style: Straight bourbon whiskey

ABV: 46.25%

Age: Said to be 4-5 years 

Cask type: New oak       

Color: 1.2 auburn. Natural color and non-chill-filtered.

Price: Around $30

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Nose: Pretty classic. Kettle corn, root beer, and the high rye mashbill comes through for sure. Medium oak, orange peel, cinnamon, and cloves.     

Palate: Fairly light and approachable. Caramel corn, root beer, and some toasted nuts. A little sweet tea. Spicy character continues here. Very drinkable without tasting weak.  

Finish: Somewhat weaker here, which is no surprise at 46%, but still good bourbon character. Caramel, toffee with nuts, and root beer again. Sweet, and the spicy rye flavor persists.     

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Conclusion: Not bad at all. I’d put it about on par with Wild Turkey 101, although it’s a few bucks more. Or Four Roses Small Batch—about the same level. Drinks well neat and could probably hold up fine in a cocktail. I found myself in a bourbon mood recently and this scratched that itch quite well. 

Score: 74

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Stagg Jr batch 12)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (new))
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Pikesville Rye)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Wild Turkey 101)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Maker’s Mark)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Grandad 114)
• 0-49: Blech. (High West Yippee-ki-yay)