Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon

Hello my friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful day. I know I am. Today I got to enjoy 50 degree weather. In Minnesota. In December! Days like this make it hard to get anything accomplished. So instead of working, I spent the day outside taking photos for some upcoming items that I’m going to be putting up on the Etsy store sometime next month. So I guess I was working, but it didn’t feel like it. I’m really excited for these as I am back to playing with barrel wood. This time I took portions of barrel head, planed the front down to a nice clean surface, and then engraved a design on the front before finishing them with a clear polyurethane. They look great! I just am not quite sure how to get them to people yet. I need to find boxes to ship them in.

But that isn’t why you are here (though if you are interested in those you can go to BourbonGuyGifts.com and favorite the shop. I think that will give you a notification when I put up new items.) No you are here to find out about the next entry in our Smoke Wagon series. Tonight’s bourbon is the barrel-proof Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon. As you might guess, this is a barrel-proof version of the Smoke Wagon Small Batch that we looked at on Tuesday. I don’t have much to add to what I wrote then so we will hear what the producer has to say and then jump into what I thought of the whiskey.

It’s nice out. I want to keep this short and sweet so I can enjoy a bourbon near the fire pit tonight.

We took the same vintage blending philosophy that we used to create Small Batch, except this time the goal was to create high proof bourbon that tasted its best neat. Uncut is so rich and sweet with an unbelievably thick mouth feel, the heat and rye spice finish are a welcome addition. It's like milk with cookies!

Let’s dig in!

Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon

Purchase Info: $79.99 for a 750 mL bottle at South Lyndale Liquors, Minneapolis, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.33

Details: Batch #192A. Bottled Oct 9, 2023. Distilled in Indiana. 57.98% ABV.

Nose: Cinnamon, spearmint, toffee, and dusty oak.

Mouth: Cinnamon, spearmint, maple, citrus zest, and oak.

Finish: Long and warm with notes of cinnamon, chocolate, and toffee.

Thoughts: This is very good. Much better than the Small Batch Bourbon. It is rich with a wonderful mouthfeel. It's much sweeter than I would have expected and I think that works very well for this particular flavor profile. Overall $80 is still more than I like to spend for bourbon but it's still cheaper than a lot of the barrel-proof bourbons on the shelf (unless you compare it to the one's from Lux Row who happen to be owned by MGP, this brand's presumed supplier) so if I see it again, and am looking for a barrel-proof bourbon, I’ll be sure to give it another look. I like it more than the Small Batch so if the choice was between he two, I’d choose this one.

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Smoke Wagon Small Batch Bourbon

Way back in April, reader David reached out to me to see if I’d ever had Smoke Wagon Bourbon from Nevada H&C Distilling and to request that I give it a try and give my thoughts on it. Unfortunately at that time I hadn’t had it. In fact I really didn’t have much of a way to get my hands on it that didn’t involve traveling to another state. And so I tucked the suggestion away for the next time I traveled.

Well, I didn’t travel much to see family this summer and I honestly forgot to look during our September vacation. But not to worry, by October it was on shelves. And not only was the small batch that David had requested, but also a barrel proof bourbon and a straight rye as well. I picked them all up and could put them all in one post, but instead I will be milking them for content this week and next.

You’re welcome.

So who is this newcomer to Minnesota? Well, as far as I can tell, they are a small producer out of Las Vegas, Nevada. The products that I have picked up say that they are “Distilled in Indiana” and “Bottled and Aged by Nevada H&C Distilling Company, Las Vegas, Nevada.” Which means they are sourcing the whiskeys though it looks as if they are distilling their own vodka, so maybe they are also distilling and aging their own whiskey for future release. If not, MGP is a great source for high-quality bourbon.

Here is what the producer has to say about the Small Batch Bourbon:

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.

One last thing I will say is that the retailers in Minnesota don’t seem to have a lot of product on hand. Almost every place I’ve see it has a “limit one” sticker on the bottle. And since they are currently only listing about 23 states that they distribute to on their website, you may or may not be able to get your hands on this one. But it came well recommended by David so let’s see if we agree here in the BourbonGuy household. And whether we think you should try to search it out.

Smoke Wagon Small Batch Bourbon

Purchase Info: $59.99 for a 750 mL bottle at South Lyndale Liquors, Minneapolis, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.00

Details: 50% ABV. Distilled in Indiana

Nose: Cinnamon candy, orange peel, and just a touch of oak.

Mouth: Vibrant cinnamon candy and ginger rounded off with notes of caramel, vanilla, and a touch of oak.

Finish: Medium length and spicy. Notes of ginger, cinnamon candy, black tea, orange zest and dried grains.

Thoughts: I've tried this twice now. One time was the day I bought it. It was the second bourbon of the night. That night I found it so delicate that I was convinced that someone had accidentally put a light whiskey in the bottle. The second time I tried this was as I did these tasting notes. This time it was the first item I tasted and it was very vibrant. Though I'm still getting the "light whiskey" notes, they are further down the palate. In fact, if you'd have blindly handed me a glass and told me it was a very good Canadian whisky, I'd have believed you. That said, I like it. I probably wouldn’t spend $60 on it again, but I'd happily drink it if you were buying.

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Jefferson’s Reserve Bourbon, Revisited and a Giveaway

This bottle of Jefferson’s Reserve was provided by the producer for review purposes with no strings attached.

It has been one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six days since I last reviewed Jefferson’s Reserve. At that point, in order to find content, I was working my way through the various releases of brands like Jefferson’s. Basically, those that had “good, better, best” product line-ups. My thoughts at the time were flattering. I enjoyed the pour even though it didn’t really fit the “stereotypical” bourbon flavor profile. I called it a “change-of-pace” bourbon.

The article I wrote was, for the most part, a defense of the brand being open about being created from sourced whiskey, which was still—somehow—a relative rarity five years ago. And people were still up in arms if you were a bottler instead of a distiller. These days, of course, most of the brands you see on the shelf are sourced, and I’ve found that a high percentage of them are fairly open about it. I’d like to include a comment from a reader about the article here because John summarizes my thoughts in the article better than I did in the article itself.

Great write-up and I share your sentiments regarding the criticism Jefferson's receives in some bourbon-centric Internet/social media outlets. I have personally never had an issue with their sourcing. My only quibble with Jefferson's is I feel their pricing is too high, but that is a quibble I have with other whiskeys, and is a bit like complaining about the tides rising and falling. The point that carries the day for me is I have never been disappointed by any pour of Jefferson's in the past, I have found them all to be enjoyable and unique.

Now, I hadn’t planned to revisit Jefferson’s Reserve until their PR agency reached out to me and offered me a chance at a media kit containing a few goodies and a couple of bottles of whiskey. One of the bottles was Jefferson’s Ocean Rye, which I'd recently reviewed, and the choice of either Jefferson’s or Jefferson’s Reserve. When I noticed that I’d last looked at the Reserve five years ago, in 2018, I decided to take them up on it. I figured branded goodies are always nice giveaways. (See below the tasting notes for more on that.)

Plus…free whiskey.

So let’s see how it tastes, shall we? Is it still a “change-of-pace,” or has it fallen in line with more typical bourbon flavor profiles in the last five years?

Jefferson's Reserve

Purchase Info: This was provided by the producer for review purposes. It sells locally for anywhere from $52.99 to $65.

Price per Drink: $3.53 to $4.33

Details: 45.1% ABV

Nose: Bubblegum, mint, vanilla, and cocoa.

Mouth: Cinnamon, mint, vanilla, oak, red fruits, and bubblegum.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Notes of bubblegum, honey, cinnamon candies, and oak.

Thoughts: This is a lot better than I remember. In the past, I've gotten some rather strange notes from Jefferson's core products. This has none of that, and I am very pleasantly surprised. I’ll be enjoying the heck out of the rest of this bottle. I love a good bubblegum/cherry/almond note, especially when paired with a nice spice note. I’m a fan.

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Giveaway

Hey, remember in the previous post when I mentioned that I was having trouble keeping track of all of these new bourbon releases? And how I’d usually ask the person in the liquor department what was new or selling well so that I could pick it up for review? Well, I’m trying another tactic. I’m asking you! Have you picked up a new or under-the-radar bourbon or rye brand that you loved (or hated, I mean, those can be fun too)? Nominate it for review on BourbonGuy.com. In return, you’ll be entered into the giveaway for the branded goodies sent to me as part of the Jefferson’s Bourbon media kit.

You can enter the giveaway using the form below. You may enter once per day. There will be one winner chosen at random. That winner will get the Jefferson’s Bourbon ball cap and Jefferson’s Bourbon deck of playing cards.

Good Luck! You have until Thursday, July 21st, 2023, to enter (you need to "log in" so I can receive your email address to notify you if you win, either login method gets me that).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Bib & Tucker Double Char Bourbon

I’d like to thank Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits and their PR team for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Poor air quality is becoming a fixture of life this summer, isn’t it? Alexa gave me another air quality alert today. Luckily for me, we have it pretty good compared to the folks just a little to the east and south of us. Being as we are only in the “moderate air quality” range here in the southern Twin Cities Metro, I can actually go outside without breathing becoming hard to do. But according to the maps, many of you will smell smoke when you step outside.

Which sucks. Because though you might want smoke on your food or your whiskey, you probably do not want it in your lungs. So stay safe, folks.

But speaking of smoke and whiskey, let’s take a look at Bib & Tucker Double Char. This Tennessee bourbon was aged for six years in standard 53-gallon charred White Oak barrels before being finished in a second heavily charred barrel for an additional 5-plus months. Now, as this is Tennessee bourbon, it does go through the Lincoln County process of being filtered through sugar maple charcoal prior to aging.

And according to the company:

For Double Char, to pay homage to the Lincoln County process, the second barrel is smoked with sugar maple before being filled with our 6 year aged bourbon. The perfect amount of time in the barrels, the char, and the sugar maple barrel smoking process delivers a bourbon with an inviting savory white smoke flavor not found in any other whiskey on the market.

I tasted this prior to reading the press release, and I personally didn’t detect any smoke, which is a good thing, as I tend to dislike smoky notes in my whiskey. But there was a subtle note that I could be convinced was smoke now that I’ve read it. It’s one of those interesting notes that is subtle enough that it only comes into focus once someone else points it out.

So let’s see how it tastes.

Bib & Tucker Double Char Bourbon

Purchase Info: This was provided free of charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $54.99.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $3.66

Details: 6 years old. 44% ABV. Batch 01. Bottle 29090. Distilled in Tennessee.

Nose: Mint, vanilla, cinnamon, fresh lumber, (seasoned) oak, and a touch of cherry.

Mouth: Sweet caramel and vanilla, vibrant cinnamon, and sharp oak.

Finish: Medium in both length and warmth. Notes of cherry, cinnamon, minerals, and vanilla.

Thoughts: I'm a bit shocked at how complex the flavor is, considering it's low proof. I'm a fan. If you like the usual suspects when it comes to supplying sourced bourbon from Tennessee, you'll probably like this too. Has a bit of a Dickel vibe to it.

Now you might ask how it compares to the standard Bib & Tucker 6-year-old. And since they were nice enough to send me a sample of that for comparison’s sake, let’s take a look. The noses are similar, but Double Char is sweeter on the nose. The mouths have similar notes, but Double Char is sweeter and spicier. Standard 6 has a longer finish, but Double Char compensates for that by having more complexity on the finish. Overall, if you like one, you'll probably like the other.

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Penelope Barrel Strength Bourbon, Batch 14

This is part two of a two-part series on Penelope Bourbon and their recent purchase by MGP. On Tuesday we talked about Penelope Bourbon and why they are currently in the news. Today, we are going to take it easy and jump right into the tasting notes. We are coming up on a holiday weekend after all and I’m sure you are all busy.

In backup, this bourbon is very similar to the 80° proof Four Grain. It is still blended from three different bourbons from MGP. The final composite “mash bill” percentages work out a little differently at 74% Corn, 16% Wheat, 7% Rye and 3% Malted Barely. Guessing that is due to a slightly higher percentage of the MGP Wheated bourbon being used in this one. The proof is obviously different, what with it being barrel strength. The batch I’m looking at is batch 14 and that has a proof of 112° proof. This batch has also been aged for 4 years instead of 26 months.

On Tuesday, I said the following about the 80° proof version:

Thoughts: This is a well crafted bourbon. I can see why MGP would want to pick this brand up, especially since it seems like the blender is staying on. That said, I doubt I will be picking it up again. For almost $40, I want more than "26 months" in the barrel and 80° proof. Hopefully the new owners will adjust the price -to-value ratio a bit, though I'm realistic enough to have my doubts. That said, in a vacuum, it's a tasty bourbon... as long as you are the one buying.

So now that my two largest issues with the bourbon have been addressed, let’s see how it tastes.

Penelope Barrel Strength Bourbon, Batch 14

Purchase Info: $63.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $4.27

Details: 4 years old. 56% ABV. Batch 14. Blend of three bourbon mash bills combining to the ratio 74% Corn, 16% Wheat, 7% Rye, and 3% Malted Barley. Barrels have a #4 char, the heads have #2 char. Non-chill filtered.

Nose: Milk chocolate, red fruits, and caramel.

Mouth: Sweet with vanilla and chocolate, spicy cinnamon, and strawberry jam.

Finish: Medium length and warm. Notes of caramel, raspberry jam, and cinnamon.

Thoughts: Wow! What a step up from the 80° proof version. The nose is like a delicious dessert. That continues into the mouth with chocolate and a delightful jammy note. And then it continues again with a sweet and spicy finish. I'm actually shocked at how good this is. I'm going to keep an eye out for another bottle from this batch for the ol' whiskey closet. I really like this one.

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Penelope Four Grain Bourbon

So the big news in the whiskey world over the last few weeks is that MGP is buying another of their customers. This is a trend for them. They started the entire customer facing push by buying the George Remus brand a few years ago. Then they bought an entire liquor producer in Luxco. I’m sure there have been others, but the one we are focused on today is Penelope Bourbon. According to MGP, the acquisition is part of their “premiumization strategy.”

Started in 2018 by Mike Paladino and his wife Kerry, along with their friend Danny Police, Penelope was named after Mike and Kerry’s baby girl. Along the way, their MGP sourced bourbon has won quite a few awards over the years. Which it should, MGP makes damn fine bourbon. The big news these days is that the founders are now about $100 Million richer than they were back in 2018. I’ll let the MGP PR folks tell the tale. They get paid more to write than I do, might as well let them do it.

MGP Ingredients, Inc. (Nasdaq: MGPI), a leading provider of distilled spirits, branded spirits, and food ingredient solutions, today announced that its Luxco, Inc. subsidiary has reached a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the equity of Penelope Bourbon LLC (“Penelope Bourbon” or “Penelope”) and its related assets. Founded in 2018, Penelope Bourbon is a family and founder-owned and operated American Whiskey company with a diverse portfolio of high-quality whiskeys in the premium-plus price tiers.  The acquisition includes all intellectual property and inventory of bottled product, as well as Penelope’s aging whiskey inventory on a debt-and-cash-free basis. The upfront consideration is $105.0 million in cash to be paid at closing, with further potential earn-out contingent consideration of up to a maximum cash payout of $110.8 million measured through December 31, 2025 if certain performance conditions are met, reflecting the brand’s current growth potential.

Not going to lie…since MGP was the one making the whiskey, this seems like an awful lot to pay for a few labels. But heck, that’s why I am a dog sitter who writes about whiskey for free and not someone who has the extra cash to acquire a bourbon company, right?

So based on the fact that this news was big enough to even land in Chuck Cowdery’s latest newsletter, I decided to go pick up a couple of these oh so prettily named bourbons. I do love the name Penelope, after all. Up first is the “affordable” option. The 80° proof Four Grain Bourbon. Penelope blends three different bourbon mash bills from MGP to form their bourbons. They don’t say but based on the math, I’d guess it includes one of the “ryed” bourbon recipes, the 45% wheat recipe, and maybe the 99% corn recipe? No idea but they say that the final mash bill of this one is 75% corn, 15% wheat, 7% rye, and 3% malted barley. So based on the math I think we can eliminate MGP’s 49% malted barley bourbon.

In any case, let’s get to why we are here. How does this hundred million dollar baby taste?

Penelope Four Grain Bourbon

Purchase Info: $38.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Viking Liquor Barrel, Prior Lake, MN

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.60

Details: Blend of three bourbon mash bills combining to the ratio 75% Corn, 15% Wheat, 7% Rye, and 3% Malted Barley. Barrels have a #4 char, the heads have #2 char. Non-chill filtered. 40% ABV. 26 months old.

Nose: Grain-forward, vanilla sugar, mint, and nutmeg.

Mouth: Thin and gentle with just enough spice to keep you interested. Notes of nutmeg, almond, and a touch of mint and orange zest.

Finish: Gentle and on the shorter side of medium length. Light notes of cinnamon, bitter citrus, and oak.

Thoughts: This is a well crafted bourbon. I can see why MGP would want to pick this brand up, especially since it seems like the blender is staying on. That said, I doubt I will be picking it up again. For almost $40, I want more than "26 months" in the barrel and 80° proof. Hopefully the new owners will adjust the price -to-value ratio a bit, though I'm realistic enough to have my doubts. That said, in a vacuum, it's a tasty bourbon... as long as you are the one buying.

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10th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: The Bottled-in-Bond Edition

Well, well, well…lookie who we have here. Is it bracket time again already?

No, I mean that seriously. I’ve been so caught up with getting all the paperwork for my new dog-sitting business in order that I completely forgot that it was March (and hence bracket season) until last Wednesday when my wife reminded me. In the time since, we chose the theme, bought all the whiskey, seeded the brackets, and, yes, did all the tastings. Oh, and also worked on the previously mentioned paperwork.

Now you might be thinking, “didn’t this used to be called the bottom-shelf brackets? I see some pretty expensive whiskeys up there.” Well, you’d be right about that. After dumping out approximately seven liters of bourbon last year, I felt like I needed to overcorrect in the other direction and instead decided to throw out the price restrictions entirely. Instead, I decided to follow a different theme: Bottled-in-Bond. Now, my local store has a pretty good bourbon section. And unlike Total Wine (where honestly, I spend most of my liquor money), it has a very good selection of Bonded Bourbons (or, in the case of Jack and Dickel, close enough for this little blog). So I bought them all there. And I didn’t even buy all they had, just the least expensive ones. I could have spent $90 for a sourced bourbon or $65 for a 10-year-old Henry McKenna, but I didn’t.

In yet another “burn it all down” moment, I tossed out my usual seeding rules too. This year I went strictly by price. The most expensive price per milliliter was seeded number 1, and the least expensive was seeded number 4 for each division. Here’s how it worked out this year:

1. George Dickel Bottled in Bond (7.07 cents per mL)

2. Old Forester 1897 (6.67 cents per mL)

3. Wolcott Bottled-in-Bond (6.26 cents per mL)

4. New Riff (5.60 cents per mL)

5. Jack Daniel's Bonded (5.00 cents per mL)

6. Old Grand-Dad Bonded (2.93 cents per mL)

7. Old Tub (2.80 cents per mL)

8. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond (2.20 cents per mL)

Which gives us the breakdown above. As you can see, there are a lot of new faces this time. Based on the removal of the pricing restrictions, only two entrants have been here before. Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond and Old Grand-Dad Bonded have both competed previously. And they both won.

This one was a lot of fun. Who you got? Any upsets that you see on the horizon? Let us know down in the comments. I’m very excited to share the results with you.

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Jefferson's Ocean New York Edition and Jefferson's Ocean Rye

I’d like to thank Jefferson’s Bourbon and their PR team for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

Last week, I got myself a shipment of whiskey from the PR agency that represents Jefferson’s Bourbon. I’ve enjoyed Jefferson’s in the past but as I was often critical of the cost of the bourbon, I was a bit surprised when they offered me a sample of their new releases. But since “too expensive” is relative, I try to not let that stop me from exploring a new bourbon. Especially when they are providing the sample for review.

Tonight’s two whiskeys are again from the Jefferson’s Ocean lineup. Because we have a lot to cover, let’s just let Jefferson’s tell you what they want you to know about each whiskey and then we can discuss what they taste like.

First, Jefferson’s Ocean Rye:

Welcome aboard rye’s first voyage, joining our Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea family as our 26th voyage. This double-barreled rye whiskey travels the world on ships at sea, blending the bold flavor of Rye with the rich caramelization that comes from the unique sea aging process.

And now Jefferson’s Ocean New York Edition

Prior to landing in New York, the barrels of bourbon traveled around the world sailing through rough and smooth seas while experiencing a wide range of temperatures. When they finished their voyage, they arrived at Manhattan’s first distillery since prohibition. From here, New York’s famous water was used to cut the bourbon to a 98 proof and it is non chill filtered creating a bigger and bolder liquid.

Ok, now that that’s behind us, Let’s see how they taste.

Jefferson's Ocean Rye

Purchase Info: This sample bottle was provided at no cost for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $79.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.33

Details: 48% ABV.

Nose: Wintergreen, cinnamon, bubblegum.

Mouth: Cinnamon spice, nutmeg, bubblegum, and cardboard.

Finish: Medium in warmth and length. Notes of bubble gum, spearmint, and baking spice.

Thoughts: Lots of bubble gum on this one. At least to my palate. This isn't a world-beater by any means, but it isn't bad. It just doesn't align with my palate. I prefer my rye whiskies to have a little more ' 'rye" flavor to them. So I'm neutral on this one. I'd drink it if you were pouring, but probably wouldn't choose it off the shelf if I was pouring

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Jefferson's Ocean: New York Edition

Purchase Info: This sample bottle was provided at no cost for review purposes. They did not provided a suggested retail price but the Bourbon Review is reporting it as $99 for a 750 mL.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $6.67

Details: 49% ABV. Cut to proof with New York water.

Nose: Cinnamon, vanilla, red berries, and hints of oak and wintergreen.

Mouth: Spicy cinnamon, red fruit, brown sugar, wintergreen, dried grain, and raw almond.

Finish: On the longer side of medium length. Notes of nutmeg, wintergreen, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Thoughts: I'm very pleasantly surprised by this one. I'm not usually a huge fan of Jefferson's Bourbon, but this one is pretty good. It has a nice spiciness. Unlike the other Jefferson's Bourbons I've had recently, this doesn't stray too far away from the stereotypical "Bourbon" flavor profile. I usually describe Jefferson's as a "change of pace" bourbon because it is a bit different than the other bourbons on the market. This needs no such disclaimer. I'm a fan. Though the $100 price point of the Jefferson's Ocean New York Edition release does leave a bit to be desired. Especially if you are on a dogsitter’s budget like I am.

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