Too bad you're not suppose to judge a bourbon by it's bottle.
The Story
This is the second bourbon expression from the Nevada H&C Distillery Company's Smoke Wagon line that's been reviewed at Brbnry. I recently reviewed their "Uncut Unfiltered" expression which you can find on our review page. If you're thinking that bottle was so good I just had to review the small batch expression, this decision was more about coming to terms with one of the biggest Facebook group bourbon crazes of 2020. I wanted to explore one more expression from Smoke Wagon to finally decide if the internet hype around this brand is legit or not.
Smoke Wagon Small Batch retails for around $40 (if you can find it) and at that price point there's a lot of great bourbons to contend with.... Michters Small Batch, Four Roses Single Barrel, and Wild Turkey's Rare Breed just to name a few. Based on that information alone Smoke Wagon Small Batch has an uphill battle in my eyes right off the back. After a several weeks of internet searching I finally found a bottle from a trusted online retailer and it was right around the $40 price point I was hoping for. About a week later it arrived without much fanfare from the UPS man.
The one thing the H&C Nevada Distillery Company does well is design it's bottles. The Smoke Wagon Small Batch bottle is flat out gorgeous, but there's no age statement. Unconfirmed information on the internet says H&C blends 4 to 6 year old MGP barrels to create this small batch expression. It's discouraging when an upstart non-distiller producer withholds information from the bourbon community and consumers in general. The H&C website provides zero useful information about its products. The good news is there's a healthy 100-proof-statement on the bottle.
The one thing the H&C Nevada Distillery Company does well is design it's bottles. The Smoke Wagon Small Batch bottle is flat out gorgeous
Tasting Notes
Out of the glass Smoke Wagon Small Batch hits the nose with rye spice and heat. Not ideal, but there's a little sweetness that trickles through to round it out. On the pallet, the 100 proof feels like an understatement as rye and cinnamon spice notes hit you hard up front. There's a nice and unexpected sweetness in the mid pallet that lingers for a while, before baking spice takes over the backend of the pallet. The finish has your typical warm "Kentucky hug", but it surprises you with a lingering mouthfeel that dances on your tongue with a prominent sweet and spicy note. The mouthfeel is solid for a bourbon at this price point.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the small batch expression from Smoke Wagon is a memorable bourbon. The design of the Smoke Wagon Small Batch bottle alone is almost worth the $45 price of emission. But when you compare the juice in the bottle to other regularly available bourbons in the $40+ range, things start to get a little murky. With that in mind, I'm not sure if the hype around Smoke Wagon is legit. Both bottles I've reviewed have been good and even memorable, but they don't necessarily standout among more established bottles in their respective price ranges.
I wouldn't rush out the door to find another bottle of Smoke Wagon Small Batch. There are just too many bourbons in the $40 price range that I'd rather walk a few more Kentucky miles for. That doesn't mean Smoke Wagon Small Batch is a bad bourbon (it's a solid expression), I just wish it stood out from the crowd a little more.
Score: 160 out of 379 Kentucky Miles (an average bottle)
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