Warbringer Mesquite Smoked Southwest Bourbon Review

 

Sespe Creek Distillery is located in Oxnard, California. Founded by David Brandt in 2017, he retired in 2021 and named Alfred English as its CEO. Then, this past August, famed Scottish distiller John Campbell was brought on as its COO. Campbell spent 17 years at Laphroaig before joining Lochlea Distillery as its master distiller.

 

According to Sespe Creek Distillery, Warbringer is a pot-distilled Bourbon made from a mash of 60% mesquite smoked grits corn, 15% fire-roasted corn, and 15% malted rye. Yes, that adds up to 90%, and whatever accounts for the remainder is undisclosed.

 

In my experience, malted rye throws folks off who aren’t familiar with it. Malting rye increases its starch conversion, allowing it to occur at a lower temperature. It typically adds bread, chocolate, and nuts notes beyond the expected spice notes of raw rye grain.

 

Warbringer was aged in new, #4 charred oak barrels for at least four years (it carries no age statement). It then went through a finishing cycle using ex-PX Sherry casks. Non-chill filtered and naturally colored, this Bourbon is packaged at 49% ABV (98°), and a 750ml will set you back about $59.99.

 

Sespe Creek Distillery calls Warbringer “That Cock of the Walk, Big Beast of Bourbon,” and the rooster head-shaped hangtag proclaims, “Rustlin’ up the wild & forgotten country spirit of California, a slow distilled mesquite smoked Bourbon not to be trifled with.”

 

Sespe Creek Distillery sent me a sample of Warbringer in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and discover for ourselves just what it entails.

 

Appearance: I sipped this Bourbon neat from my Glencairn glass. The whiskey inside presented as a deep, dark, almost rusty amber. A thick rim jettisoned medium-spaced, thick tears.

 

Nose: In the midwestern region of the United States, where corn is king, many smaller towns have fall corn festivals. The smell of roasted corn permeates everything – it is enchanting and makes you salivate. The second I popped the cork, I felt as if I was transported to a corn festival; it filled the room and never entirely dissipated.

 

I allowed the whiskey to rest for about ten minutes to allow other notes to come to life. My olfactory sense plucked the mesquite smoke that the label promised, along with barrel char, salted caramel, and a hint of citrus. Drawing that aroma into my mouth, there was absolutely nothing.

 

In the 1000+ whiskeys I’ve reviewed, that’s never occurred.  

 

Palate: Warbringer’s texture was thick and silky. Initially, I didn’t know what to make of what was rolling around inside my mouth as I did my Kentucky chew. My next sip exposed the front of my palate to a heap of vanilla along with RC cola. My mid-palate tasted kettle corn and dry cocoa. The back included flavors of pine tar, spiced nuts, and burnt mesquite.   

 

Finish: The burnt wood carried through and lasted beyond any others. In fact, I timed it at 4:42 while waiting until the last of the hickory smoke faded. The RC cola, vanilla, and pine attempted to tread water but eventually fell beneath.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Warbringer will be polarizing Bourbon. Folks who enjoy smoky whiskeys, including peated Scotches, might appreciate what’s in their glass. Those who want a classical Bourbon could find it off-putting. Frankly, I tasted nothing of the PX Sherry influence, which my palate is finely attuned to. I’m stuck somewhere in the middle. While unique, I can’t shove it into the OMG-you-must-try-this venue. Instead, it describes the whole reason that my Bar category exists. 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.