Wheel Horse Cigar Blend Bourbon Review & Tasting Notes

 

Green River Distilling Co. of Owensboro, Kentucky, distilled Wheel Horse Cigar Blend Bourbon. While the mashbill is undisclosed, it slept between four and five years in oak. Once matured, it spent another six to eight months in former Sherry, Armagnac, and Port wine casks. It is non-chill filtered, resulting in a limited run of 3000-750ml bottles packaged at 50.5% ABV (101°) and a retail price of $39.99. Distribution is not limited to a single venue.

 

What, exactly, is a Cigar Blend whiskey?

 

“While there is no official definition for a ‘Cigar Blend,’ there is history to the term. In American whiskey, Cigar Blends have typically involved a combination of finishes, with Armagnac and/or Cognac being a favored choice. For Wheel Horse Cigar Blend, we are using Armagnac-finished Bourbon as the base, but this is complemented by a smaller amount of Sherry and Port-finished Bourbons to create a profile that we believe is balanced, flavorful, and perfectly paired with a fine cigar.” – Terry Lozoff, Spirits Director at Latitude Beverage/Wheel Horse Whiskey

 

Green River has a storied history. In its 130-plus years of existence, it has changed hands many times. One of its more well-known names was the Old Medley Distilling Company.

 

In its heyday, Green River’s whiskeys won prestigious awards such as the Medal of Excellence at the 1893 World’s Fair, the First Prize and Gold Medal in Paris in 1900, the Grand Prize Over All Competitors at the 1904 World’s Fair, and, in 1905, the Grand Prize at the Exposition Universelle de Liege. There were plenty of other awards earned. But all that came to a screeching halt when a fire broke out and reduced everything to rubble and ashes.

The distillery was rebuilt, and then Prohibition raised its ugly head, forcing it to shutter. The distillery fell into disrepair and was abandoned until it was acquired in 2014 by the Terressentia Corp. of South Carolina, who named it O.Z. Tyler Distillery. Two years later, the distillery was producing its first whiskeys. Then, in 2019, Terressentia purchased the rights to the Green River name, and in 2020, O.Z. Tyler once again became the Green River Distilling Company. Green River was purchased by Bardstown Bourbon Company last year.

 

Green River produces some rather excellent whiskeys at shockingly affordable prices. I reviewed Wheel Horse’s flagship Bourbon in 2020 – you can read that review here. Wheel Horse was one of the first Bourbons out of the new distillery.

 

How’s this new Cigar Blend Bourbon taste? We’ll #DrinkCurious once I thank Wheel Horse Whiskey for providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.  

 

Appearance: I poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass and sipped it neat. The liquid inside was the color of caramel. It formed a medium rim that generated wide, slow tears.

 

Nose: My nostrils found smells of plums, currants, black cherries, caramel, and chocolate. When the air hit my tongue, milk chocolate rolled across it.

 

Palate: The light, oily texture coated my tongue and every crevice of my mouth. The front of my palate found toffee, old leather, and shredded tobacco. Flavors of caramel, cocoa powder, and cinnamon spice filled my mid-palate. The back featured French oak, black pepper, and coffee.    

 

Finish: Medium-to-long duration; the finish left tastes of black pepper, French oak, leather, and cocoa powder on my tongue and throat.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I’m still somewhat stunned at what Green River can do, yet it holds its highly affordable price tag. Wheel Horse Cigar Blend Bourbon will knock your socks off. There are layers of flavors, and for only $40.00, you’d be insane to pass this Bourbon up. Grab a Bottle; you should love sipping it. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.