Warbringer Mesquite Smoked Southwest Bourbon Whiskey is bottled at 48% ABV in a 750ml format and produced by Sespe Creek Distillery in Oxnard, California. It is distilled twice in copper pot stills and uses a high-corn, high-rye mash bill made primarily of double-cracked grits corn that is mesquite-smoked and toasted over an open flame in a rotating steel drum. After milling, the grain is fermented in open-top cypress wood tanks influenced by the coastal air between the Pacific Ocean and Santa Monica Mountains.
Utilizing a rare two grain mashbill, Warbringer Mesquite Smoked Bourbon delivers a mesquite smoke dominate pour that falls squarely in the love-it-or-hate-it camp.
This Southwest Bourbon works. The smoke is not overpowering; it calls back to the char of the barrel and the beach fires down the road, making for a balanced and interesting quaff. Its a carefully crafted whiskey that holds up neat and also makes for an adventurous cocktail.
As much as I enjoy many smoky whiskeys, I simply found Warbringer too overwhelming for my tastes. While other drinkers’ mileage will surely vary, even if you’re a thrill-seeker, make sure you know what you’re getting into.
