Smoke Wagon Rare and Limited 'Batch 1' Bourbon Whiskey
Smoke Wagon Rare and Limited 'Batch 1' Bourbon Whiskey is a 118.9-proof (59.45% ABV), 750mL, 8-year-old straight bourbon — the inaugural 2017 release of the Rare & Limited series, drawn from just 11 fifth-floor barrels — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 59.45% (118.9 proof)
- Age: 8 years — 11 barrels from the warehouse's fifth floor
- Size: 750mL
- Release: 2017 — the first-ever Rare & Limited bottling
- Distillery: Nevada H&C Distilling Co., Las Vegas, Nevada
Where Rare & Limited Began
Before Desert Jewel, before The First 10, there was Batch 1. In 2017 — when Smoke Wagon was just beginning to hit its peak — Nevada H&C pulled 11 barrels of 8-year-old bourbon from the fifth floor of the warehouse and bottled them at a formidable 118.9 proof, launching the Rare & Limited series. It set the template everything after would follow: tiny barrel counts, high proof, warehouse-floor selection, and a bourbon that drinks remarkably balanced despite its strength. Collectors who were there at the start remember Batch 1 as the bottle that announced Smoke Wagon as a serious force — and as a once-it's-gone-it's-gone whiskey, it has only grown harder to find.
Tasting Notes
Nose: rich and sweet — toffee, semi-sweet chocolate, oak, cinnamon, and a maraschino-cherry pop. Palate: full and intense — caramel, honey, and butterscotch up front, then rye spice, earthy leather, and oak; a touch funky in the best way. Finish: long and pleasant, with cinnamon, oak, and black pepper spice lingering.
How to Enjoy
Neat, and don't rush it — 118.9 proof needs air. This is a collector's pour with real drinkability: the kind of bottle that justifies both keeping and opening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rare & Limited Batch 1? The inaugural 2017 release of Smoke Wagon's Rare & Limited series — 11 barrels of 8-year-old bourbon bottled at 118.9 proof.
Is Batch 1 still being made? No — it was a one-time 2017 release; remaining bottles are all that exist.
What proof is Batch 1? 118.9 proof (59.45% ABV) — high proof but notably balanced for its strength.
The one that started the series — order Smoke Wagon Rare & Limited Batch 1 online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.