Dry oak | Brown sugar | Light cinnamon stick | Nutmeg | Faint caramel | Touch of ethanol

Light brown butter | Spiced young oak | Rye spice | Baking spices | Light cinnamon apple | Heavy spice

Rye spice | Cinnamon apple | Faint vanilla | Touch of dry oak | Prickly heat | Lingering spice

Wheel Horse Bourbon was one of the first bourbons to come out of the O.Z. Tyler Distillery, which has since been acquired and renamed the Green River Distillery. The brand, which is owned by independent bottler Latitude Beverage Co., consists of core bourbon and rye releases. Their latest release marks the first time the company has bottled barrel proof small batch whiskey. Batch 1 is a blend of 12 barrels ranging in age from 5 to 6 years, and produced a total of 2,100 bottles.

The whiskey comes out punching, displaying its proof up front as classic bourbon scents are amplified and rest on a pillow of ethanol. The midpoint is full of sassy spice, as various spices mix with light brown butter and oak. It’s at this point of the sip that the youthfulness of the bourbon shows the most. These spices, along with the cinnamon apple found at the midpoint, carry over to the palate, producing a prickly heat that transitions into a lingering spice note.

Green River Distilling has come a long way over the years, and the distillery’s own Full Proof Bourbon offering has started to shine in its own right as of late. However, that bourbon uses higher aged whiskey in the mix and is also slightly higher proof. For their first Master Select Bourbon offering, Wheel Horse puts out a solid product at a great price that will please many consumers. Spice lovers will revel in this release.