Whiskey Of The Month August 2022: Wilderness Trail 8-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon

Matt Kohorst picked the “Whiskey of the Month” for this month. I support his decision. He picked an excellent whiskey. Matt has a fondness for Wilderness Trail whiskey that dates back to the first time he tasted their rye whiskey. Wilderness Trail rye is one of his top choices when drinking rye. In addition, we both loved the 6 year old Bottled-in-Bond wheat recipe Bourbon and when they announced they were going to do an 8 year old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, we purchased some bottles. It did not disappoint us.

This whiskey is a traditional Bourbon made with rye, so don’t expect an older version of their 6 year old bonded whiskey. The flavor profiles are very different, but all in good ways. Matt fell in love with this whiskey when we tasted it and I had him taste it against some other candidates in a blind tasting. He picked the Wilderness Trail out from two other excellent candidates. For him (and me), it is our whiskey of the month. Here are our tasting notes.

Wilderness Trail 8 Year Old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon

Proof: 100

Age: Eight Years Old

Nose:

Mike: Caramel and dark fruits – dates, apricots and plums with baking spices and oak wood.
Matt: Lots of oak barrel notes, with chocolate, peanut butter and caramel. Reminisent of a Charleston Chew candy.

Taste:

Mike: Lots of oak wood with apricots and dates with nutmeg and cinnamon spice. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the fruits are enhanced and a citrus note joins the party. Tasted with a pecan and chocolate comes out in force.
Matt: Cocoa, peanut brittle and cotton candy with oak wood. The dried cranberry brought out notes of cherry and red hot cinnamon candy. The pecan added peanut butter notes and lemon and cherry fruit.

Finish:

Mike: Long and dry with oak and spice with lingering fruit notes. The dried cranberry made the finish very spicy with a pepper spice. The pecan added chocolate notes to the oak and spice.
Matt: Very spicy with red hot cinnamon candy and oak wood. The dried cranberry added some lingering cherry notes. The pecan added notes of leather and cocoa butter to the oak finish.

I think almost any cigar would pair well with this complex Bourbon. However, I think I would start with one of my favorites, My Father The Judge, but then try a Fuente Opus X in order to test this theory. Two very different flavor profiles of their smoke. The chocolate notes of the The Judge and rich earthy tobacco and vanilla in the Opus X. Sounds like a fun afternoon.