Wilderness Trail Bourbon
64% Corn, 24% Rye, 12% Malted Barley | 117 Proof | 5+ Years | Single Barrel (store pick) | Not Chill Filtered
What’s the definition of a Craft Distiller? Is it a small operation or one that’s all local? What about quality, does that come into play? I wonder if people (consciously or not) give spirits or beer some leeway if it’s “Craft.” Wilderness Trail calls themselves a Craft Distillery that was launched in 2012 by a couple of fermentation experts with their eye on making bomb ass bourbon and other spirits… but from what I can tell by this bottle “Craft” refers to their operations in the best way possible, and their product is certainly on (or above) par with that of big distillers.
“Improved with science” - that’s from their website . I’m a sucker for anything improved with science. I appreciate taking pictures of my fuel-injected motorcycle with my iPhone (both improved with science), but you’ll have to visit my other blog for that content. In this case, we’re talking about a carefully crafted process, from the selection of local grains and water, to how they’re sweet mashed and the proprietary yeast used in fermentation. Honestly, check out their website and Instagram for a real warm and fuzzy feeling (or is that the bourbon I’m drinking?). This distillery might have to be my first stop when I make it down to Kentucky.
This review is of a single barrel (15E31-A12; Rick A-N5C2; Yeast FermPro1) store pick by A&B Liquor stores and it has an age statement of 5 years, which tells me it was distilled a couple years after Wilderness Trail’s launch. In 2019, WT exceeded 25k barrels just chillin in their storehouses, and is adding to their 100k barrel storage capacity. Adding storage capability and ramping up production means there may be a decent amount of the 5+ year bourbon available long-term (good news if you ask me), and I can only imagine what this stuff will be like after 10+ years of aging.
You don’t even have to crack the bottle to recognize the first notable characteristic of this bourbon. It’s dark. It looks like 50/50 water and molasses, which is surprising for a 5yr bourbon and is likely due to the level 4 char of the barrel. Level 4 is on the high end of barrel char, where the inside of the barrel is exposed to the fire for nearly a minute. Higher char means more surface area for the distillate to seep into and draw sugars and fats from the wood.
Off the bat (10min rest after freshly cracking the bottle and pouring a glass), the nose had roasty notes like coffee and cacao powder. Giving this bourbon a chance to sit and breathe even longer (~20min) allowed the nose to open up a bright maple note that became prominent over everything else. The longer this sat, the more prominent the maple note became. This is one of those noses that has a slight singe of ethanol high in your nostrils that comes at the end of a long draw in through your nose and I love it. On the palate, this isn’t a particularly viscous whiskey, but I don’t find it thin or lacking. It feels balanced, though it packs a kick and prickles your tongue a bit, being at 117 proof. Just like the nose, it tastes of sweet maple, chocolate and slight cherry. These notes don’t just dry up and disappear on the finish, rather they give way to slight smoke and minerals.
This bourbon is great stuff and I look forward to whatever my next Wilderness Trail bottle will be. They’ve got a 6yr wheated bourbon I’m curious about, but maybe I’ll wait a bit and see if they have any new offerings by the time I’m ready to re-up.
7.5 - This is a delicious high-proof single barrel that shines, likely due to the thought and effort Wilderness Trail puts into their products… plus Shane Baker just looks like a guy who knows what kind of whiskey people should drink
Glassware - Glencairn
Rested - 10 minutes, then 20 minutes
Bottle opened - right now… like right now, right now
Setting - At the cozy home bar on a cold winter night
Listening to - actually wasn’t listening to anything… but IF I WAS, it would be: “Nobody Speak” - Dj Shadow, Run The Jewels
