Table Of Contents

The Details

Rating 87
Style
American Whiskey
Whiskey
Produced In Kentucky
United States
ABV 50%
Availability Limited
Price $280.00 
Reviewed By
Review Updated 2024-02-20

Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel Review

When it began distilling in 2013, Wilderness Trail Distillery was the tiniest of upstarts, producing around one barrel of whiskey per day. A decade later, the now Campari-owned operation is a behemoth valued at over $600 million. Its focus on sweet mash distilling and track record of consistently tasty releases have skyrocketed the Kentucky-based operation onto the radar of virtually every bourbon fan. And from both an economic and quality standpoint, it seems Wilderness Trail’s rise is far from slowing.

Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel: Stats and Availability

In December 2023, the distillery released a special bottling to commemorate its 10 year anniversary: a 10 year wheated, Bottled-in-Bond bourbon from its second-ever barrel. Around 115 bottles were released to the public at a price of $280 (and by all accounts, those sold out almost immediately). The whiskey comes from a mash bill of 64 percent corn, 24 percent wheat and 12 percent malted barley.

We got a chance to sample this special bottling for review. Read on to see how it stacked up!

Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel Review

Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

Tart cherry preserves lead, along with dark molasses and brown sugar. Orange marmalade is up next, once again pairing a touch of fruit with sour elements. It’s a syrupy, sweet, and fruity start, along with tart elements that keep those very rich aromas bright enough to captivate.

Nestled under the cherry and orange comes oak, more than I’ve ever smelled on a Wilderness Trail product. Of course, that makes sense given that this is by far the oldest Wilderness Trail whiskey I’ve sampled, and their second-oldest barrel! The interplay between sweet scents, sour fruit, and tannic oak is eye-opening, and hopefully a sign of how the distillery’s products will age as older distillate makes its way to shelves. Based solely on the nose, there’s room for even more depth before things get too oaky.

Taste

The first sip is mostly stone fruit, lemon peel, and fresh cherry. The midpalate leans into citrus, with both candied lemon peel and a fascinating (and not too potent) grapefruit element. Those are paired with classic bourbon notes one might expect after a decade in the barrel: leather, dried tobacco, white pepper, and a light caramel all slide from front to back over the tongue.

At the midpalate and beyond, the spice transitions to candied ginger and anise, and the fruit turns to apple. Ultimately, the effect is similar to mulled cider — this would be a welcome pour on a cold winter day.

Additional sips do point out one speed bump in this particular bottling; as a single barrel, let’s remember it’s not necessarily indicative of Wilderness Trail distillate. While there’s welcome depth and breadth of flavor here, many of those individual notes come through in a muted capacity.

Overall, the oak is dialed way back, and generally the flavors are less pronounced than the nose implied. The mouthfeel is toward the thin side. This being a commemorative, highly limited bottling, I certainly understand the appeal of releasing it as a 100 proof, Bottled-in-Bond offering. But I can’t help but imagine what this would be like 10 or so proof points higher (ideally with some increased viscosity to match).

Finish

Oak comes rip roaring back on the finish, along with dark cherry and both white and black pepper. It’s certainly a welcome end and nice step up from a somewhat muffled experience on the tongue.

Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel Rating

87/100

Recap

I’ve been consistently impressed by Wilderness Trail’s release over the last five years. This limited bottling simply didn’t soar quite as high as others.

But context is important here! While this single barrel — again, the distillery’s second ever laid down! — is a fun commemoration, I wouldn’t jump to conclusions regarding what it means for Wilderness Trail’s older distillate. After all, it was picked for significance more than flavor.

If anything, some fantastic elements on the nose and finish could spell immense promise for future 10+ year old wide releases. I can’t wait to see what they cook up.

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87
POINTS
Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel
When it began distilling in 2013, Wilderness Trail Distillery was the tiniest of upstarts, producing around one barrel of whiskey per day. A decade later, the now Campari-owned operation is a behemoth valued at over $600 million. Its focus on sweet mash distilling and track record of consistently tasty releases have skyrocketed the Kentucky-based operation onto the radar of virtually every bourbon fan. And from both an economic and quality standpoint, it seems Wilderness Trail’s rise is far from slowing.

Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel: Stats and Availability

In December 2023, the distillery released a special bottling to commemorate its 10 year anniversary: a 10 year wheated, Bottled-in-Bond bourbon from its second-ever barrel. Around 115 bottles were released to the public at a price of $280 (and by all accounts, those sold out almost immediately). The whiskey comes from a mash bill of 64 percent corn, 24 percent wheat and 12 percent malted barley. We got a chance to sample this special bottling for review. Read on to see how it stacked up! Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel Review

Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

Tart cherry preserves lead, along with dark molasses and brown sugar. Orange marmalade is up next, once again pairing a touch of fruit with sour elements. It’s a syrupy, sweet, and fruity start, along with tart elements that keep those very rich aromas bright enough to captivate. Nestled under the cherry and orange comes oak, more than I’ve ever smelled on a Wilderness Trail product. Of course, that makes sense given that this is by far the oldest Wilderness Trail whiskey I’ve sampled, and their second-oldest barrel! The interplay between sweet scents, sour fruit, and tannic oak is eye-opening, and hopefully a sign of how the distillery’s products will age as older distillate makes its way to shelves. Based solely on the nose, there’s room for even more depth before things get too oaky.

Taste

The first sip is mostly stone fruit, lemon peel, and fresh cherry. The midpalate leans into citrus, with both candied lemon peel and a fascinating (and not too potent) grapefruit element. Those are paired with classic bourbon notes one might expect after a decade in the barrel: leather, dried tobacco, white pepper, and a light caramel all slide from front to back over the tongue. At the midpalate and beyond, the spice transitions to candied ginger and anise, and the fruit turns to apple. Ultimately, the effect is similar to mulled cider — this would be a welcome pour on a cold winter day. Additional sips do point out one speed bump in this particular bottling; as a single barrel, let’s remember it’s not necessarily indicative of Wilderness Trail distillate. While there’s welcome depth and breadth of flavor here, many of those individual notes come through in a muted capacity. Overall, the oak is dialed way back, and generally the flavors are less pronounced than the nose implied. The mouthfeel is toward the thin side. This being a commemorative, highly limited bottling, I certainly understand the appeal of releasing it as a 100 proof, Bottled-in-Bond offering. But I can’t help but imagine what this would be like 10 or so proof points higher (ideally with some increased viscosity to match).

Finish

Oak comes rip roaring back on the finish, along with dark cherry and both white and black pepper. It’s certainly a welcome end and nice step up from a somewhat muffled experience on the tongue.

Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel Rating

87/100

Recap

I’ve been consistently impressed by Wilderness Trail’s release over the last five years. This limited bottling simply didn’t soar quite as high as others. But context is important here! While this single barrel — again, the distillery’s second ever laid down! — is a fun commemoration, I wouldn’t jump to conclusions regarding what it means for Wilderness Trail’s older distillate. After all, it was picked for significance more than flavor. If anything, some fantastic elements on the nose and finish could spell immense promise for future 10+ year old wide releases. I can’t wait to see what they cook up.

Reviewed On: 02-21-2024
87
POINTS
Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel
When it began distilling in 2013, Wilderness Trail Distillery was the tiniest of upstarts, producing around one barrel of whiskey per day. A decade later, the now Campari-owned operation is a behemoth valued at over $600 million. Its focus on sweet mash distilling and track record of consistently tasty releases have skyrocketed the Kentucky-based operation onto the radar of virtually every bourbon fan. And from both an economic and quality standpoint, it seems Wilderness Trail’s rise is far from slowing.

Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel: Stats and Availability

In December 2023, the distillery released a special bottling to commemorate its 10 year anniversary: a 10 year wheated, Bottled-in-Bond bourbon from its second-ever barrel. Around 115 bottles were released to the public at a price of $280 (and by all accounts, those sold out almost immediately). The whiskey comes from a mash bill of 64 percent corn, 24 percent wheat and 12 percent malted barley. We got a chance to sample this special bottling for review. Read on to see how it stacked up! Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel Review

Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

Tart cherry preserves lead, along with dark molasses and brown sugar. Orange marmalade is up next, once again pairing a touch of fruit with sour elements. It’s a syrupy, sweet, and fruity start, along with tart elements that keep those very rich aromas bright enough to captivate. Nestled under the cherry and orange comes oak, more than I’ve ever smelled on a Wilderness Trail product. Of course, that makes sense given that this is by far the oldest Wilderness Trail whiskey I’ve sampled, and their second-oldest barrel! The interplay between sweet scents, sour fruit, and tannic oak is eye-opening, and hopefully a sign of how the distillery’s products will age as older distillate makes its way to shelves. Based solely on the nose, there’s room for even more depth before things get too oaky.

Taste

The first sip is mostly stone fruit, lemon peel, and fresh cherry. The midpalate leans into citrus, with both candied lemon peel and a fascinating (and not too potent) grapefruit element. Those are paired with classic bourbon notes one might expect after a decade in the barrel: leather, dried tobacco, white pepper, and a light caramel all slide from front to back over the tongue. At the midpalate and beyond, the spice transitions to candied ginger and anise, and the fruit turns to apple. Ultimately, the effect is similar to mulled cider — this would be a welcome pour on a cold winter day. Additional sips do point out one speed bump in this particular bottling; as a single barrel, let’s remember it’s not necessarily indicative of Wilderness Trail distillate. While there’s welcome depth and breadth of flavor here, many of those individual notes come through in a muted capacity. Overall, the oak is dialed way back, and generally the flavors are less pronounced than the nose implied. The mouthfeel is toward the thin side. This being a commemorative, highly limited bottling, I certainly understand the appeal of releasing it as a 100 proof, Bottled-in-Bond offering. But I can’t help but imagine what this would be like 10 or so proof points higher (ideally with some increased viscosity to match).

Finish

Oak comes rip roaring back on the finish, along with dark cherry and both white and black pepper. It’s certainly a welcome end and nice step up from a somewhat muffled experience on the tongue.

Wilderness Trail 10 Year Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel Rating

87/100

Recap

I’ve been consistently impressed by Wilderness Trail’s release over the last five years. This limited bottling simply didn’t soar quite as high as others. But context is important here! While this single barrel — again, the distillery’s second ever laid down! — is a fun commemoration, I wouldn’t jump to conclusions regarding what it means for Wilderness Trail’s older distillate. After all, it was picked for significance more than flavor. If anything, some fantastic elements on the nose and finish could spell immense promise for future 10+ year old wide releases. I can’t wait to see what they cook up.

Reviewed On: 02-21-2024