Wilderness Trail Distillery (Campari Group)
Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Cask Strength
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey · 6 Years (8 and 10 year expressions emerging)
From one barrel per day to a $600M acquisition, Wilderness Trail has arrived. Their cask strength singles are a glimpse at bourbon's next golden era.
Rating Breakdown
Flavor Profile
Tasting Journey
Nose
Honey, caramel, vanilla buttercream, cherry, orange, apple, bread, cinnamon, gentle nuttiness, milk chocolate
Palate
Brown sugar, butter, bread, banana candy, stone fruit, marzipan, vanilla, developing oak character, sweet mash vibrancy
Finish
Length: LongDry and long with toasted oak, vanilla, black pepper, barrel char, pleasant radiating warmth
Specs
Price / Value
MSRP: $55
Your Rating
Click to rate
Our Score: 86/100
Pairings
Food
- Banana foster
- buttered croissants
- honey-glazed roasted carrots
- mascarpone desserts
- mild goat cheese
Cocktails
- Neat or with a splash of water to explore the sweet mash character. Old Fashioned with honey syrup.
Our Verdict
Wilderness Trail Cask Strength is the most exciting new chapter in American bourbon. The sweet mash process and generous wheat bill create a distinctive character that's uniquely compelling. We're watching a dynasty being built, one barrel at a time.
If you want to understand where American bourbon is headed, pour yourself a glass of Wilderness Trail Cask Strength. This Danville, Kentucky distillery has charted one of the most remarkable trajectories in craft spirits—from producing a single barrel per day in 2013 to commanding a $600M+ acquisition by Campari in 2024. And unlike many craft-to-corporate transitions, the bourbon has only gotten better.
What makes Wilderness Trail genuinely different is its sweet mash process and an unusually high wheat percentage (24%) in their wheated expression. While most wheated bourbons use wheat as a secondary grain at 14-16%, Wilderness Trail's generous proportion creates a distinctly fuller, rounder sweetness that sets it apart from the Buffalo Trace wheated standard. The high-rye recipe offers its own compelling counterpoint, and the ability to compare them side by side at cask strength is a bourbon nerd's paradise.
The nose is all honey and warmth: caramel, vanilla buttercream, cherry, orange, and apple create a welcoming bouquet. There's a bread-like quality—yeast-driven, almost pastry-like—that distinguishes Wilderness Trail from more traditional profiles. Cinnamon and gentle nuttiness round things out, with milk chocolate adding an unexpected sweetness.
On the palate at cask strength (typically 108-120 proof), this bourbon announces itself with authority. Brown sugar and butter lead, followed by a bready banana candy note that's uniquely Wilderness Trail. Stone fruit, rich sweetness, and marzipan create a mid-palate that feels almost dessert-like, while vanilla and a developing oak character provide structure. The sweet mash process gives the distillate a vibrancy and brightness that sets it apart from the sour mash standard.
The finish is dry and long, with toasted oak, vanilla, black pepper, and barrel char creating a satisfying close. There's a pleasant warmth that radiates without burning—the hallmark of well-made cask strength bourbon.
At $45-55 for barrel picks, Wilderness Trail Cask Strength represents one of the most exciting values in craft bourbon. The 8-year expressions already show significant improvement over earlier releases, and the upcoming 10-year+ bottlings have the community salivating. We're watching the birth of a bourbon dynasty in real time.
