I have been a huge fan of the Smoke Wagon brand.  Their Uncut Unfiltered option has especially been one that I seek out and have multiple bottles of.  It's even made my top 5 rankings of barrel proof offerings with some heavyweights like Stagg (Jr), Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, and the like.   Initially, Smoke Wagon, who sources their product from MGP, was somehow able to secure some double-digit aged barrels which were part of the Uncut Unfiltered blend.  It's typically made up of 4, 6, and 10 year barrels though there are rumors that some batches may include 12+ year-olds. 

So, is Uncut the Younger really just a little brother of the Uncut Unfiltered option?  Well...kind of.  But per Aaron Chepenik, the founder of Smoke Wagon, Uncut the Younger is meant to be something completely different.  Uncut Unfiltered is a premium barrel proof product, is the barrel proof version of the Small Batch, and meant to vary in profile with each batch.  On the other hand, Uncut the Younger is meant to be an affordable everyday barrel proof product, is the barrel proof version of the Straight Bourbon product, and is meant to maintain consistency throughout it's release. 

Stats: NAS (4-5 years old);  117.5 proof; 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley MGP Mashbill; $47

Verdict: The one thing I was surprised most about this was the candy sweetness I picked up on the front of the palate.  Being a younger (no pun intended) barrel proof, you'd expect a bit of "hotness" and it certainly has that in a good way but I did not expect the sweet sugar candy.  There's a fair amount of Earthiness in this as well with some nice floral notes, mint, light fruits, and of course cinnamon and rye spice.  Smoke Wagon has done an excellent job at balancing this out and avoids it from being too burn-your-face-off hot.  At $47, this is a great value in today's bourbon world.  It's rare to get a really good barrel proof product under 50 bucks these days and this is well worth it.  I may have to test this out against the rest of my top 5 under $50 bottles...