Dire Wolf Bourbon
A bottle caught my attention from the corner of my eye with its shiny, gold label. I picked up the bottle to look more closely and noticed a wolf on the label. It immediately reminded me of Game of Thrones, with good reason. I had stumbled upon a bottle of Dire Wolf Bourbon Whiskey.
The label was very simple. It was rectangular and gold, with simple black text, and an image of a gray wolf. When I grabbed the bottle, I expected it to be plastic. I was surprised to find it was glass and also sold in a liter rather than the standard 750ml bottle.
Dire Wolf Bourbon Whiskey wasn’t particularly expensive. It has already been marked down to $18.99 from its original price of $22.99. The sale price indicated this bottle had not been moving off the shelves very quickly. However, the price was right and I thought to myself, “why not?”
Aztec Spirit
Dire Wolf Bourbon is bottled and distributed by Aztec Spirits in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The company was formed in 2015 and began distillation in 2016. Aztec Spirits produces two bourbons; one under the Dire Wolf label and another under the Aztec brand label. The company also produces vodka under the Dire Wolf and Aztec labels.
There isn’t much information about the brand outside of the meager information available on their website. The best source I found was a blog post on the Albuquerque Journal website. The first batch of Dire Wolf Bourbon did not meet the quality standards the company expected, so they recalled their whiskey. Aztec Spirits had to go back to the drawing board to figure out how to create a budget bourbon that wasn’t bad.
Dire Wolf Bourbon is a NAS whiskey. It is aged in oak barrels with “lots of char,” although the exact char level is not disclosed by Aztec Spirits. Supposedly, George R.R. Martin has sampled Dire Wolf Bourbon. In a secretive fashion true to his roots, he has not shared his review of Dire Wolf Bourbon to avoid spoiling it for us whiskey enthusiasts. You’ll just have to experience it for yourself and draw your own conclusions.
Tasting Notes
I picked up notes of caramel and cereal grains on the nose, while Alie noticed the cereal aroma. On my first sip, I picked up the taste of musty wood with mild hints of caramel at the finish. There is a nice, mild to medium intensity that hits your tongue in the middle of the sip, which fades quickly. I picked up a hint of mint before the mild heat returned to linger on my tongue.
Alie thought Dire Wolf Bourbon tasted like Kashi cereal, with notes of grains in the flavor profile. She noted that there was a bit of an aftertaste she initially struggled to identify. Suddenly, it hit her. Dire Wolf Bourbon has a coffee aftertaste.
Dire Wolf Bourbon is a decent sipper that shines in whiskey forward cocktails, such as a standard old-fashioned, due to its unique flavor profile. We also enjoyed Dire Wolf as the base in our Whiskey Mint Lemonade. The hints of mint we noticed in the flavor profile complemented the mint and lemonade in the cocktail. You can find the recipe for our Whiskey Mint Lemonade here.
Our Ratings
Drinkability: 3.3
Intensity: 3
Personal Preference: 2.8
Beginner Friendly: 3.5
Availability: 2
Overall: 2.8
Final Thoughts
Dire Wolf Bourbon Whiskey is a budget bourbon that has a very limited distribution range. Overall, it has an interesting flavor profile. There is a certain flavor that comes with whiskey aged in warmer environments throughout the southwest. There are notes of old musty wood, mint, and burnt caramel flavors I typically don’t notice in midwestern whiskey. Dire Wolf Bourbon shares a similar flavor profile with other southwestern whiskeys likely due to its aging in the Northern New Mexico climate.
Dire Wolf Bourbon is an inexpensive way to foray into whiskey produced outside of Kentucky or other regions in the midwest. Dire Wolf Bourbon, like other whiskeys aged in more arid climates, has a distinct flavor that differentiates it from a traditional bourbon. If you started the journey to experience whiskey from places other than the bourbon trail, Dire Wolf Bourbon is a budget-friendly option you’ll want to experience, even if it doesn’t become your daily drinker.
If you happen to see Dire Wolf Bourbon or its sister label, Aztec Bourbon on the shelf, you should give it a shot. It is a unique whiskey that won’t break your bank, especially if you spent too much money on the HBO Max subscription to rewatch Game of Thrones. At a suggested price of $19.99, you won’t feel bad if you’re inclined to pour a little out each time a Stark or dire wolf dies.
Happy Exploring!
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