Rock Town Hickory Smoked Whiskey

Overview
Rock Town Hickory Smoked Whiskey is a grain-to-glass American whiskey from Rock Town Distillery in Little Rock, Arkansas, distinguished by its wheat that is cold-smoked over hickory wood before milling. This unconventional approach aims to infuse a subtle smoke character into a wheated base, setting it apart from traditional smoked whiskies.

Specs at a glance

Good to know
Rock Town Distillery crafts this whiskey in small batches, aging it in 15- and 25-gallon used bourbon barrels. The distillery has earned recognition, including a silver medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a nod in Jim Murray’s 2015 Whisky Bible. Reviews note the standard expression as more one-note compared to the Single Barrel Reserve version.

Tasting notes

• Nose: Vanilla, hard candy, honey, faint smoke, creamy notes, salted caramel, apricot, and slight savoriness.
• Palate: Buttered richness with a mix of sweetness, umami, and funk; less one-note than expected but unconventional.
• Finish: Lingering odd funk without strong smoke dominance.

Notable details

• Production: Wheat cold-smoked over hickory before milling; aged in small used bourbon barrels; non-chill filtered implied by grain-to-glass process.
• Lineage: From Rock Town Distillery, known for a broad range of acclaimed spirits produced in Arkansas.
• Comparison: Standard version described as simpler and more straightforward than the funkier Single Barrel Reserve.

"The Single Barrel Reserve Hickory Smoked Whiskey is more complex than the standard but remains an odd, funky mess lacking strong smoke." – The Whiskey Wash

Closing
A polarizing experiment in smoked wheated whiskey, best for those seeking unconventional flavors over classic smoke.

Sources

[1] Thewhiskeywash – "Rock Town Hickory Smoked Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes & Verdict"

[2] Thewhiskeywash – "Rock Town Hickory Smoked Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes & Verdict"