The Basics:
Do I recommend it?: Yes, very highly!
Availability: Fairly wide? A little hard to say.
ABV: 50%
Presentation: Unchillfiltered and natural color
General information: Mashbill 64% corn, 24% wheat, 12% malted barley
Bottling type: Proprietary
Character: Sweet, soft, fruity and herbal.
Score: 94/100
The details:
Wilderness Trail was founded in 2013 in the town of Danville by Shane Baker and Pat Heist. Prior to their distilling endeavors, they ran a company called Ferm Solutions, which consulted on fermentation-related industries. The distillery was quickly successful and drew the attention of larger industry players, and in 2022, Campari bought a controlling stake, although the founders remain deeply involved.
Wilderness Trail is a bit idiosyncratic; it has both a copper pot still, and also a copper column still. While many bourbons are produced using a sour mash process, whereby a small amount of spent mash from prior fermentations is introduced to each new mash to control acid levels, Wilderness Trail uses a “sweet mash” process (i.e., not a sour mash, so no spent mash from prior fermentations is carried over). And although there are plenty of wheated bourbons out there, they’re still not the norm.
Wilderness Trail’s core line consists of a rye, a rye-forward small batch bourbon, and this charming wheated bourbon, all bottled at a healthy 50% abv and without chillfiltration. The core wheated release is a single barrel product, so I’d venture to guess that there is some substantial variation. My experience with my bottle is overwhelmingly positive–it’s a sweet, easy-drinking bourbon, with enough complexity to keep things interesting, and I highly recommend it.
Wilderness Trail Wheated, 50% abv
Bottling Information:
Expression: Wheated Single Barrel Bourbon
Bottler: Proprietor
Range: Core
Bottle Code: n/a
Presentation: Unchillfiltered and natural color
Details: Barrel 16D21L, bottle 34 of 250, made from 64% corn, 24% wheat, and 12% malted barley. Sweet mash, copper column distilled. Bottled in bond.
Price: $50
Availability: Not sure, it seems a little touch and go. Most liquor stores where I live seem to carry it.
Distillery Information:
Region: United States (Kentucky)
Location: Danville, KY
Geography: Inland
Date Founded: 2013
Owner: Campari
Website: http://wildernesstraildistillery.com/
Capacity: ?
Plant Summary: ?
Total expressions sampled: 3
Overall distillery score: S
Tasting notes:
Nose: Lush, rich and lazy with tropical fruit; sticky, heavy, sweet, and faintly herbal. Mango, sweet basil. Sourdough bread, coconut oil, and very faint pine. With nosing, honey.
Body: Lightish.
Palate: Plump, soft and sweet; juicy. Lots of mango, honey, and still sweet basil. With tasting, there’s molasses and corn, but it’s very soft. Oregano.
Finish: Medium to long, drying, herbal.
Score: 94/100
Who should buy it?: Whisky/whiskey lovers all. This is one of those delicious whiskies that will appeal even to those who don’t ordinarily favor its style.
Overall thoughts: A gem of a whiskey.
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Whisky Considered 