Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Rye Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

The first time I called on Wilderness Trail was a long time ago. I was still living in Europe, and they had only just changed their name from Wilderness Trace and moved from their original storage space-style set-up to their current farm property. That was the summer of 2016, and just about the only thing I can think of that hasn’t changed since then is that their digs in Danville, Kentucky remain very much on the outskirts of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Not as the crow flies, mind you. Danville just occupies an odd spot for a county seat cum college town in Kentucky, in that it isn’t anywhere near a major highway. Despite definitely being in the Bluegrass, it’s a bit out of the way, and compounding that is that Wilderness Trail is all by themselves down in Boyle County.

Wilderness Trail was founded by Shane Baker and Pat Heist, who are also the founders of industry consultants Ferm Solutions. Thus, they were well-situated to develop a production process that spotlighted yeast selection and the sweet mash process, two features that define Wilderness Trail’s corner of Kentucky bourbon.

This Settlers Select Single Barrel Rye was made with 56% rye, 33% corn and 11% malted barley. It’s also a cask strength, a point not even mentioned on the label, probably because it’s only 52.6% ABV. Another feature of Wilderness Trail is that they prefer a low entry proof for their whiskeys, which results in a low dump proof after just several years.

The Whiskey
The pour has a red tinted amber look to it. I found the nose to have a certain Christmas cake quality. The spiciness, driven by mint and especially clove, was certainly in the main. But along side that sweet and spicy main body were earthy and nutty notes.

Sipping adds pepper and dill to the spice blend, as the character of the whiskey turns sharply away from cake. It’s still sweet under an oily texture–simple syrup infused with vanilla–but the spice takes over. Add cardamom to the mint and clove, plus a sliver of oak. The finish slides right off that spicy peak, developing a sweet pipe tobacco note that lingers for just a short time.

The Price
A bottle of this should set you back $65, but some retailers have it listed for $55 or $75. So, buyer beware and shop around before picking up a bottle.