The B Team Podcast
Talking all things Business, Bentonville, and Bourbon. Hosted by Josh Saffran, Matt Marrs, and Rob Nelson. New episodes every Thursday!
The B Team Podcast
Bourbon Tasting: Smoke Wagon
Ever wondered what happens when bourbon enthusiasts encounter a trendy whiskey that doesn't live up to the hype? Join us for a brutally honest tasting of Smoke Wagon's 120-proof store pick that leaves us wanting more – more depth, more age, and more complexity.
This week's spirited conversation dives deep into what makes bourbon truly exceptional as we sample a young Smoke Wagon offering that proves high proof doesn't automatically translate to high quality. We don't hold back our reactions to this "nose hair burner" that prompts discussions about the importance of proper aging and barrel development. While some detect candy-like sweetness and caramelization, the overwhelming consensus is that this particular whiskey simply needs more time in the barrel to smooth out its rough edges.
The whiskey world's marketing tactics come under scrutiny as we explore how Smoke Wagon, like many contemporary brands, sources its distillate from MGP in Indiana while building its brand identity in Las Vegas. This practice, common among whiskey companies that emerged during the bourbon boom of the past 15 years, reveals the fascinating story behind many of today's popular labels. Between sips and critiques, we share our passion for authentic whiskey experiences, planning future trips to Kentucky's Bourbon Trail and Scotland while debating what truly matters in the world of fine spirits. Whether you're a bourbon aficionado or simply curious about what makes a whiskey worth your time, this raw, unfiltered conversation offers insights that go beyond the bottle.
What's your experience with highly-rated bourbons that left you underwhelmed? Share your thoughts and join the conversation as we continue our journey through Bentonville, bourbon, and business each week on The B-Team Podcast.
Welcome to the B-Team Podcast. I am your host, josh Saffron, with my co-host, matt Morris and our permanent guest, rob Nelson. We're here every week to talk to you about all things Bentonville, bourbon and business. The B-Team Podcast Be here. Welcome to the B-Team Podcast. I'm your host, josh Saffer, with my co-host, matt Mars, and our permanent guest he gone again. Did he ghost us? Yeah, I think if we started to keep track, he's like at a 75% rate of not being here with a 25% rate of being here. I think he needs to get his. You know he's not committed. What happens when you're in the 25% tile? You're failing, right. Yeah, we need to put him on a performance for years. I think we should Remember last time he didn't show up, we put somebody else's picture over his head. We could put Russ's picture over there. It might break the board, though. No, you're looking good. Feel good. You look good. Glad to be here. Gentlemen, always a pleasure to see you guys. We haven't seen you in forever, I know.
Speaker 1:Okay, what do we have here today? We have Smoke Wagon. Yeah, I bought this when this was a store pick for Guess who Shout out to guess who. Six year, 10 month, so very young, yeah, but not super young, just 82 months and it's 120 proof, got some heat. I personally I didn't love this, but I've never been a huge smoke wagon fan. But there was a lot of buzz about this store. Pick one that was there and it sold pretty quickly. So I'm like, all right, let's bring it in for today. The nose is intense Sometimes when you get the big barrel push cast strides because, again, this is sometimes a lot of that flavor profile is hibernated from the proof.
Speaker 1:So this is really where you're going to need the water to really open it up. I mean, josh, I'm looking at you right now, the way your expressions again, I don't generally see that expression on you. No, I don't like this at all. But remember you. And I don't like big proof. No, I like big proof, but it doesn't have a lot of depth, like it's just spicy. Doesn't have a lot of depth, it's just spicy. I give a lot of candy, I've got a lot of caramelization, I'll get all those caramelized sugars. It's almost candy-esque, that sweetness. Let me try it again. This is not going to make it. This will go really well with an ice cube or six, or six, to be fair. You can drink it that way and it's probably be fine. Two Manhattans will put you under. You know, on this A drop of water helped, didn't hurt. It mellowed it out big time. It's not. I don't like it. I get that big wood spice here, you know, you get that oak, you get that alcohol. It's got a lot of oak. The sweetness is really tempered here. Do you notice this? You don't get that big bourbon sweetness because the the proof is really shocked it a little bit now.
Speaker 1:Smoke wagon started off hot, like it was super trendy right Out of Vegas, and then it just kind of slowly that's a cowboy whiskey there. So you know it does say aged and bottled in Las Vegas by Smoke Wagon, but the distillate is from MGP in Southern Indiana. Oh, those marketers, yeah, this is where you know so many distilled, so many brands want to be built and were built over time. The Burberry Boom started 15 years ago and this is where a lot of brands you know Whistlepig started there, high West started there, Redemption, templeton, smoke Wagon so many brands built there and they're trying to start their brands at their home site in Las Vegas or wherever the brand regular home is, when they're not purchasing their product at MGP, a contract distilling, so they have a gift shop distillery, all that fun stuff in Vegas. Is that where I mean? That's the plan.
Speaker 1:I'm not sure have you been there, matthew? No, I haven't been to Vegas in 15 years. I tell you what I would rather go on the Bourbon Trail. I want to do that again. Bourbon Trail is my Las Vegas. I would do, like this summer. I want to do Scotland with you and I want to go to the Bourbon Trail. All right. So here's the plan. You all right, that got me. Here's the plan on Scotland is spring of next year. Okay, I'm talking a year from right now. Yeah, we'll be in Scotland. Are you allowed to go? There may be a cheer competition. I'm going to go Just repeat that to the mic. There may be a cheer competition. I will be there, scotland, and we'll have a podcast while we're over there. We know Terry doesn't watch the podcast, so you're safe. So again, talking about Las Vegas. Again, that's, vegas is Vegas. But again, I've been to Vegas. I've done that.
Speaker 1:I'm not a gambler. People go for shows and gambling. My shows and gambling is going to visit distilleries. On the great trip we had in September, I gambled. When I got married for a second time. That was the extent of my gambling. I almost feel like him. I had a jackpot. You didn't crap out, I didn't crap out, I didn't crap out.
Speaker 1:Shout out to Emily. You did. You hit all aces on this one. Oh, I liked all aces. Lucky seven. Yeah, exactly. Shout out to Emily. Shout out You're a lucky guy, josh, lucky me.
Speaker 1:So come back on this real quick. Do we have to? This is a nose hair burner. This is a nose hair burner. Yeah, we're not helping the smoke wagon sales today with our three million viewers, but the reality is it's not. It's not that great.
Speaker 1:No, and I know everyone. Everyone has different. You know things that they love, but and I usually love high proof, but usually with with high proof, like you get a lot of depth and, uh, like to, there's not a lot of depth in the flavor. The depth is muted here For me. I love whiskeys that are three-dimensional.
Speaker 1:I don't know, and this needs time. This is a young. Yeah, it needs to be 15 years old. Again, it's a minimum of four years because it's straight bourbon whiskey, as you know. If it's straight bourbon whiskey, straight rye whiskey, straight Tennessee whiskey minimum of two years to know it to be a straight bourbon whiskey or straight rye, etc. If it's less than four years, you have to declare an age statement somewhere on the label. So we age statement somewhere on the label. So we know there's no age statement anywhere here. So we know it's a minimum of four years in a home. But I still think it needs more time here to smooth out a lot of the rough edge. There's some rough edges here.
Speaker 1:They unloaded their gun too early. But I tell you what from? They have some fine whiskeys in their lineup. But again, for me, as I don't like high proof, I'm averse to it. This is why I can't. If I was to blind this in a tasting, I'd give this a solid. This would not be a goal. I would give this a B which would be a silver. B was high, yeah. But I see what you did there with the guns on there, that's good. They. I see what you did there with the guns on there, that's good. They unloaded the gun to her meaning they should have yeah. Yeah, that's it for this year. What you doing there, cowboy. I mean, I know a guy that talks about the gun being unloaded. A lot Gun show, that's true. Thank you Russ? You're welcome. Sorry, this was not Twitter, yeah.