Distillery: MGP
Proof: 100
Age: No Age Statement
Mashbill: 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
Price: $60 – $65
Company
The company behind Smoke Wagon, Nevada H&C Distilling Co., was founded in Las Vegas in 2012. They source their bourbon from the famous MGP distillery in Indiana.
Production
According to their webiste, Smoke Wagon Small Batch is a blend of young and old bourbons that ages in the Nevada desert. The younger bourbons bring the rye spice and the older ones bring creaminess and sweet notes. The result is a great tasting high rye content bourbon.
Nose – 94/100
This smells like a caramel apple with a hint of cinnamon, vanilla, and oak. It reminds me a bit of apple cider.
Palate – 92/100
This has a creamy mouthfeel with some noticeable rye spice and hints of caramel.
Finish – 92/100
The finish starts with oak and leather notes then quickly fades to rye spice.
Value – 88/100
I really enjoy this bourbon—it’s a great pour.
But the price is a bit steep for the $60 price range because there are several $40 bourbons that are just as good. The average MSRP of ~$45 is much more reasonable, but you likely won’t find it for that since it’s not readily available (I found mine on the top shelf behind the counter at the liquor store).
That being said, if you stumble upon Smoke Wagon Small Batch for the first time, it’s worth buying at least once just because it’s a great bourbon that isn’t incredibly easy to find.
Verdict – 91.5/100
We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.
Scoring System:
- Platinum – 95+
- Gold – 90 – 94
- Silver – 80 – 89
- Bronze – <80
Hunter Branch is the Founder and Director of Editorial for Bourbon Inspector. He has been writing about and professionally reviewing bourbon since 2020 (and has been drinking it for much longer). He’s been able to interview big names in the bourbon industry like Trey Zoeller from Jefferson’s Bourbon and his work has been featured in publications like TastingTable, Mashed, and more.