Smoke Wagon Bourbon was founded by Aaron Chepenik and Jonathan Hensleigh in 2012 as part of Nevada H&C Distilling Co. They source their bourbon from Midwest Grain Products of Indiana (MGPI) using MGPI’s 36% high rye bourbon mashbill. Chepenik was convinced you can develop a brand flavor profile using MGPI’s bourbon: “You can definitely get proprietary flavors from MGP through your blending, through using multiple vintages, and from pulling barrels from multiple floors” (Go Bourbon). They also age their barrels in the Las Vegas desert. That climate provides the weather fluctuation needed for aging bourbon and helps develop their signature bold flavors.

In February 2016, Chepenik started blending barrels for their initial release of Smoke Wagon Small Batch (2016 San Francisco World Spirits competition gold medal). The Uncut Unfiltered was their next release. As of the writing of this article, Nevada H&C Distilling Co has only released 25 batches of Smoke Wagon Bourbon Uncut Unfiltered and 21 of those happened between May 2020 and October 2020 (Chepenik on Instagram). That shows how much growth they’ve seen in 2020 alone.

If you’re on Instagram, Aaron Chepenik is active on their profile with giveaways, bourbon geek knowledge, and more. It’s a great follow for bourbon nerds. I’ve been lucky enough to try all the releases below as well as two 12-year-old Smoke Wagon Single Barrel picks out of Atlanta. They’ve all been good. Don’t sleep. That’s why the Smoke Wagon Bourbon Uncut Unfiltered and Small Batch made my best bourbons ranked list.

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Which Smoke Wagon Bourbon is Best?

So which Smoke Wagon bourbon should you hunt and buy? It’s not just Smoke Wagon Small Batch vs. Uncut Unfiltered either. We’ve compared all their bourbon expressions below:

Smoke Wagon Rare and Limited Guide

Smoke Wagon Rare and Limited Batch 1 Review

Smoke Wagon Rare & Limited is a blend of 8-year-old bourbons from 11 barrels on the 5th floor. According to Nevada H&C Distilling Co.,

It is balanced with notes of caramel, honey, and butterscotch upfront at almost 119 proof. The finish has cinnamon, oak, and big deep earthy black pepper spice.

Smoke Wagon is a great new brand. Like the guns on their bottles — they are winning the West in my opinion. Yes, they are MGP sourced but the magic of blending and other tricks like silver filtering help make this brand truly unique.

Nose – 90 out of 100 Points

Toasted marshmallow, burnt caramel and oak, corn, and butter.

Taste – 90 out of 100 Points

Cherry, vanilla, a citrus ring with a hint of chocolate and black pepper, cinnamon that tickles the tongue for a bit. As I swirl it around, I get some caramel and fruit notes too. It is oily and tangy.

Finish – 90 out of 100 Points

After it fades, it leaves my mouth watering a little bit dry when it first hits. The taste lasts for a while so I say long finish. I get toasted wood, some banana & chocolate.

Verdict – Silver 90 out of 100 Points

If the proof was at say 127 to 134, Smoke Wagon Rare and Limited would have had a more balanced mouthfeel and more pronounced flavors. The oily mouthfeel was nice, but with more age, it could have been a 95 or higher. Not bad for Smoke Wagon’s first batch of Rare and Limited.

Tasting notes shared with permission — Matthew M. Gore aka The Whiskey Cabinet

Smoke Wagon Bourbon Uncut Unfiltered Review

A thin layer of bourbon coats my Glencairn whiskey glass with tiny beads slowly making their way to the bottom of the glass. Not as oily as I would have expected.

Nose  – 91 out of 100 points

Peaches and cream. Vanilla creme pie drizzled with caramel. Cinnamon and charred oak.

Taste – 93 out of 100 Points

Brown sugar and maple syrup on the front of the palate. Oak and baking spice rounding the top and side of the palate. Creamy fruit sweetness on the back of the palate. That was unexpected surprise. I don’t usually get sweet notes so far back in the palate.

Finish – 95 out of 100 Points

Sugar-coated peaches grilled with baking spice, white pepper, and charred oak. It’s a long finish that’s complex and balanced.

Verdict – Gold 93 out of 100 Points

This reminds me of an OESF from Four Roses  — a perfect balance between sweet and spice. Plus Uncut and Unfiltered doesn’t drink like 114.9 proof. It’s a bold but easy-drinking barrel proof flavor bomb. The layers of flavor and complexity plus its current price point make it a great value. The only hold up — availability. These Uncut Unfiltered batches are becoming hard to come by.

Smoke Wagon Bourbon Uncut Unfiltered Batches

Research is crowdsourced and was shared by a friend in a local bourbon group. Organized by John Boehnlein and Brandon Joseph.

Smoke Wagon Desert Jewel Bourbon Review

Smoke Wagon Desert Jewel Bourbon was a limited release of 10-year bourbon from the fourth floor of the Nevada H&C Distilling Co. The MSRP was $80 at release. As of early 2020, I was still seeing members in local bourbon groups finding bottles of this at retail. That however was short-lived. By middle summer, the legend grew and these were all but extinct.

Nose – Silver 88 out of 100 Points

Rich figs and raisins, cream, leather

Taste – Silver 88 out of 100 Points

Mapley-syrupy goodness, light orange peel, a little bit of that leather from the nose

Finish – Silver 88 out of 100 Points

Long, pleasant, some fruit comes back into the picture

Verdict – Silver 88 out of 100 Points

Tasting notes shared with permission — Tyler – The Bourbon RN

Smoke Wagon Small Batch Bourbon Review

Light caramely, gold in my Glencairn glass. Smoke Wagon Small Batch has medium viscosity and good legs.

Nose – 89 out of 100 Points

The nose has the goods. I love using a Glencairn topper letting the whiskey sit for a bit before I start. Removing the topper, I smelled caramel, cinnamon, and some stewed pears with baking spices. Nose in the glass reinforced those flavors. The bourbon came off sweeter but with recognizable Smoke Wagon savory, baking spices notes. There’s also a vanilla pudding note hiding in there.

Taste – 87 out of 100 Points

Made for a good ol’ Kentucky Chew. Small Batch has a great mouthfeel. Super creamy with baking spice prominent on the side of the palate with just hints of burned oak, and black pepper round out the back of the palate experience. It reminded me of drinking a Mexican horchata. My horchata could’ve used a caramel drizzle with a splash of vanilla. Missing some caramel and vanilla from the nose on the palate. That would’ve rounded out the profile.

Finish – 86 out of 100 Points

The finish is on the short side of medium but it’s more horchata and a creamy charred oak note.

Verdict – Silver 87 out of 100 Points

Smoke Wagon Small Batch is a fantastic drinking experience for those who love a high rye bourbon. The nose has admirable complexity and balance. Some of that is lost on the palate and finish but don’t hesitate to stock in your cabinet and enjoy with friends.

Smoke Wagon Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

Nose – 83 out of 100 Points

The Smoke Wagon straight bourbon whiskey has a delicate nose. I get fresh ground sweet summer corn than sweet grits with brown sugar and just hints of baking spice. It’s rounded out with subtle floral and light caramel notes.

Taste – 85 out of 100 Points

I get a pleasant but noticeable young whiskey grain note, more floral notes, and light caramel mid-palate with baking spice and black pepper adding intrigue to the lighter notes. It’s well rounded but not complex.

Finish – 85 out of 100 Points

The finish is an entanglement of floral notes, baking spice, and black pepper. It’s a medium finish.

Verdict – Bronze 84 out of 100 Points

2021

This score is solid for what I would consider a daily sipper. It’s well rounded with interesting flavors. What it’s missing is the age and complexity of its older brothers. I sipped through a bottle of my own this summer. That’s the sweet spot for this drinker because of the sweet and floral notes — hot summer day with a cigar.

Smoke Wagon Single Barrel Store Picks

Research is crowdsourced and was shared by a friend in a local bourbon group. Organized by John Boehnlein and Brandon Joseph

Smoke Wagon Single Barrel Bourbon 8-Years-Old

• Selected by: Columbia Bourbon Collective
• Warehouse WCS
• Barrel 334
• 61.35%
• 122.7 Proof

This Smoke Wagon Bourbon 8 year single barrel has great glass coverage with ribbons of oily legs.

Nose – 94 out of 100 Points

This bourbon has deep, rich caramel notes buttressed with cinnamon glaze on flaky pie crust. I also get notes of tart apples and cherries. Plus you know it’s high proof. But the word to describe this nose is luxurious.

Taste – 91 out of 100 Points

The palate is a bit muted compared to the nose. I’m let down a bit. I wanted all that deep, rich flavor to carry over. It’s creamy charred oak. Most of the flavor hits back and top of the palate. It’s toasted cinnamon and black pepper. You do just a hit that rich caramel but it disappears quickly because the heat that carries through finish shows up.

Finish – 93 out of 100 Points

The finish is long. It’s baking spice, oak, and black pepper.

Verdict – Silver 92 out of 100 Points

I can’t believe I’m saying this but the proof got in the way of some of the flavors on the front and mid-palate. It’s a solid 8-year-old bourbon with a nose and finish that could knock out most whiskeys. Saying all that, I still prefer this 8-year-old single barrel over the 12-year-old Smoke Wagon bourbon I tried two days prior (review below). Age isn’t everything.

Smoke Wagon Single Barrel Bourbon 12-Years-Old

I tried this at a Christmas tasting and forgot to take a picture of the label for the barrel details. Medium viscosity for this Smoke Wagon Bourbon 12 year.

Nose – 88 out of 100 Points

Baking spice. Licorice. Oak. This nose is savory with just a hint of that licorice sweetness.

Taste – 94 out of 100 Points

Charred oak. Vanilla. Baking spice.

Finish – 93 out of 100 Points

Baking spice. Sweet charred oak. Black pepper.

Verdict – Silver 92 out of 100 Points

This 12-year-old Smoke Wagon bourbon was a treat to drink. The nose wasn’t bad. It was more of a preference thing. The licorice, oak, and baking spice wasn’t my favorite flavor combination. But the palate and finish didn’t disappoint.

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