I can’t believe that when this bottle came in, we paid somewhere between $100-$125 each. As a new member at the time, I got two and gave one of mine to a fellow member for cost.

One sold on secondary last week for $1000.

What. The. F***.

Smoke Wagon pricing has gotten insane. Not retail - that’s still plenty reasonable, with 4- to 8-year-old MGP bourbon at various strengths coming to stores in waves. The source is drying up, but there’s no real timetable for when Smoke Wagon will run out of MGP stock.

On secondary? Flat-out ballistic. The 12- and 13-year-old picks are $800 and up. The 8-year-old picks are around $500. WHY? Because, that’s why. There is no reason that they should be going for that much. It’s good stuff, it is, but hundreds? Even the head of Smoke Wagon chimed in on secondary a few weeks ago, leading to a temporary suspension of all Smoke Wagon sales for a few days (the real reason he said something wasn’t the pricing but rather someone who mistakenly sold a bottle he shouldn’t have, but that’s not really important here).

Look - this is a great bottle. You’re not getting one, but it’s a great bottle. I’m not one of those people who go nuts for anything Smoke Wagon and I’ll admit it’s a great bottle. Had a few 8-year-olds that were just as good, especially from The Bourbon Enthusiast, but even that bottle is long gone.

One thing I’ll say about Smoke Wagon - Aaron Chepenik (its founder/owner) - did a fantastic job of letting the bourbon speak for itself. He didn’t do much publicity, just letting a steady flow of high-quality, high-age picks come out to near-universal acclaim. Whatever deal he made with MGP to get their bourbon stocks has to be put in the book of legendary bourbon deals. I really wish I had kept that second bottle - not making that mistake again, Steve.

PS - if you’re looking for a useful and OCD-filled guide of every Smoke Wagon pick ever, check out this article from the Bourbon Bard and scroll down about halfway.

Smoke Wagon Private Select “Smoke on the Water”: Specs

Classification: Bourbon

Origin: MGP/Nevada H&C Distilling Co.

Mashbill: 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Barley

Proof: 108.4 (54.2% ABV)

Age: 13 Years

Location: Indiana

Smoke Wagon Private Select “Smoke on the Water” Price: $125 (retail - $1000 secondary)

Official Website

Smoke Wagon Private Select “Smoke on the Water” Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Maple syrup. No rims, droplets all over the glass.

Nose: So much fruit - jammy and fresh, what I imagine a Smucker’s factory smells like. Deep, dark red fruits, like cherries in syrup stewed down. Just a hint of roasted nuts.

Palate: Aged wood right up front - there’s the age for you. Tons of peanuts and nut skins here with leather and old wood furniture. Nuttiness just keeps building, skins more than the nut flesh. Berry-flavored gummies. Mouthfeel is hot but pleasantly so, mouthwatering and berrylicious. Heat opens up with air as the mixed-berry gummies keep on going.

Finish: Medium-length, slightly dry but the berries are lasting the full length of the finish.

Overall: Absolutely delicious. Berries and nuts play well together for a reason. Maybe a year or two too much for me in terms of oak, but it doesn’t distract from the rest of the dram.

Final Rating: 8.1

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)