Mesquite smoke | Roasted salsa | Corn tortilla | Mesquite charcoal | Campfire

Mexican chocolate | Oak | Whoppers candy | Smoked syrup

Mesquite charcoal | Rye spice | Leather | Dry oak | Smoky aftertaste

Sespe Creek Distillery was founded in 2017 by distiller David Brandt Ph.D., and is located in California. Alfred English took over as CEO in 2021 after Brandt retired and continues the company’s focus on the unique aspects of what makes Warbringer Mesquite Smoked Bourbon, mainly the smoke influence. The company states that “the flaking grits corn is smoked for 2-days in a custom cold smoke box with natural mesquite firewood from Texas.” The company should continue this tradition well into the future as John Campbell, a long-time distiller of scotch, joined as the company’s COO and master distiller.

Warbringer Mesquite Smoked Bourbon is a whiskey you need to be in the mood for - that is, if you’re also partial to smoke flavor. I’ve had this whiskey on multiple occasions, and I can’t say if I’ve felt the same way about it twice. At times, it’s over-smoked. Other times it can taste like it was made with liquid smoke, and other times it down-right hits the spot.

Warbringer Mesquite Smoked Bourbon is not for the faint of heart. As its name suggests, it's an agent of war; it seeks chaos. Its mesquite smoke flavor is big, bold, and intrusive. But there also isn’t much else like it on the market. Some whiskeys like to play with smoke in their whiskey, but Warbringer doubles down and goes so hard that there is no coming back from it. It will envelope your palate and lingers for what feels like an eternity. If this sounds appealing, then you’ll know if this devilish whiskey is for you.