Blacksmith Distillery Snow Day Straight Wheat Bourbon Finished in Amburana Oak and Yellow Birch Review

Distillers: Blacksmith Artisanal Spirits – Lohman, Missouri 

Proof: 115.0 (57.5% ABV)

Age: Minimum 2 Years

Mashbill: Undisclosed Mashbill ratio of Corn, Wheat & Malted Barley

MSRP: $67

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A Risk-Taking Missouri Bourbon That Proves Unusual Can Still Be Excellent

Snow Day Straight Wheat Bourbon Finished in Amburana Oak and Yellow Birch is the kind of whiskey that ask you to judge by intent rather than tradition.  That does not mean giving it extra credit simply because it is “unusual”.  It means asking a better question:  do the unusual choices serve the whiskey in the glass?  That idea sits at the heart of our article, especially when the secondary finishing is noticeable and evaluating a bottle that pushes beyond familiar bourbon expectations.

Blacksmith Artisanal Spirits appears to be aiming for something bold, noticeable, and intentionally different.  Missouri has a growing group of distilleries willing to push the edges of what American whiskey can become, and Snow Day fits that well.  This is a young barrel proof wheat bourbon finished in Amburana oak and yellow birch, which means our question is not whether it tastes like a traditional bourbon.  The better question is whether the finishing woods enhance the whiskey, whether the proof supports the profile, and whether the whole experience still feels complete.

That is where Snow Day becomes so interesting.  Amburana can easily overwhelm a whiskey with heavy baking spice, while yellow birch can bring root beer, wintergreen, and lightly medicinal sweetness.  Those choices could feel gimmicky.  Here, they feel intentional.  

Snow Day delivers a full, flavorful, adventurous pour that takes a real leap and sticks the landing with surprising confidence.

Blacksmith Distillery Snow Day Straight Wheat Bourbon Finished in Amburana Oak and Yellow Birch Review: Tasting Notes

Nose – 4.6/5

Wheat sweetness.  Butterscotch.  Amburana spice.  Wintergreen.  Dusty wood.
Strengths:  Full, well-defined, and immediately engaging.  Wheat sweetness and butterscotch show first, giving a soft and inviting base.  Amburana spice expands with notes resembling gingerbread, cinnamon, nutmeg, root beer spice, and wintergreen.
Why It’s Not Higher:  Finishing woods carry much of the identity.  Additional age may have brought deeper caramel and more mature bourbon sweetness underneath the spice.
Rating Justification:  Does not Nose young, sharp, thin, or muddled.  Notes are clear, layered, and connected.  Unusual finishing influence invites exploration rather than simply showing up all at once.

Palate – 4.7/5

Gingerbread.  Butterscotch.  Honey wheat bread.  Root beer.  Wintergreen spice.
Strengths:  Entry is sweet, spiced, and creamy.  Flows naturally into a decadent Amburana-driven mid-Palate.  Sweetness holds underneath the spice.  Root beer and wintergreen notes show the yellow birch has a subtle influence on this whiskey.
Why It’s Not Higher:  Profile is built around bold finishing influence.  Enthusiasts looking for a more traditional bourbon will find the Amburana and birch character more dominant than expected.
Rating Justification:  Executes its intended identity very well.  Notes feel connected.  Texture holds.  Proof lifts without turning hot or aggressive.  Unique and impressively well-structured.

Finish – 4.3/5

Amburana spice.  Gingerbread.  Sweet cinnamon.  Root beer spice.  Toasted oak.
Strengths:  Carries the Palate notes forward.  Slight tart aftertaste shows up, but it works and seems to show the yellow birch influence rather than feeling like a flaw.
Why It’s Not Higher:  Very pleasant and consistent with the rest of the pour, but it fades more than it evolves into new or deeper notes.  Reinforces rather than adding deeper final layers.
Rating Justification:  Strong Finish.  Stays connected to the Nose and Palate.  Leaves a very good final impression.  Does not collapse, turn bitter, or expose the young age.  Medium length and limited evolution.

Value – 4.7/5

Snow Day is a strong value for the right enthusiast.  This is not a broad appeal, entry-level bourbon, and it should not be purchased by someone looking for a familiar everyday pour.  This is for the adventurous enthusiast who enjoys craft whiskey, unusual secondary finishing, barrel proof, and a bottle that creates conversation.

The Value is strongest because Blacksmith’s risk actually pays off.  This is a single barrel, barrel proof wheat bourbon finished in Amburana oak and yellow birch, and it delivers more than novelty.  It is not strong Value because everyone will love it. It is a strong Value because the people who understand what this whiskey is attempting to do are likely to recognize that Blacksmith pulled it off.

Blacksmith Distillery Snow Day Straight Wheat Bourbon Finished in Amburana Oak and Yellow Birch Review: The Verdict

Snow Day Straight Wheat Bourbon Finished in Amburana Oak and Yellow Birch reinforces why intent matters when judging whiskey.  If this were evaluated only by how closely it follows a traditional bourbon profile, our article would miss what Blacksmith is trying to accomplish.  This whiskey is not trying to be traditional.  It is trying to be bold, seasonal, expressive, and different while still holding quality, structure, and completeness.

And it succeeds.

Snow Day is not different for the sake of being different.  It is different with purpose.  Blacksmith took a real risk with this bourbon, and the result is a unique, high-quality, adventurous expression that holds together from entry through final sip.  For the right enthusiast, this is not just a fun bottle to taste.  It is a reminder that bourbon still has room to surprise us.

Verdict – 4.6/5

We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.

Scoring System:

• Platinum – 4.5 – 5
• Gold – 4 – 4.5
• Silver – 3 – 4
• Bronze – <3