Background

Oh Arby’s, you beef and cheddar purveying svengalis you! I’ve had my share of unfortunate road trip bowel movements after being drawn in by your advertisements. A not too long ago drive to Florida comes immediately to mind, but give it another year or two of being bombarded by your meat sweaty commercials and I’ll be ready to get hurt again.

In the interim, I find myself staring down this sample of Arby’s Smoked Bourbon. I’ll be honest, I’m a sucker for a good gimmick. My friends and I got good and drunk off an entire suite of (mostly terrible) celebrity whiskeys. So when a buddy offered to pour me some Arby’s bourbon to review, of course I leaped at the opportunity. If you want to know anything actually important about this whiskey, I suggest you read Bourbon Culture’s excellent review breaking down the sourcing and process that went into crafting this salacious smoky sipper. Otherwise, bust out your curly fries, saddle up your horsey sauce, and let’s get into the notes!

Arby’s Smoked Bourbon (NAS, 90 Proof)

Nose: Mesquite comes through first and foremost, but more accurately this is barbecue sauce through and through. Sure there’s a general smoky essence, but I’m really getting your run of the mill, grocery store BBQ sauce.

Palate: There’s a cloying caramel sweetness underpinning the whole endeavor, and the smoke comes on late providing an almost peppercorn beef jerky note. It’s got a nice, oily texture and the flavors come across well given the proof.

Finish: I weirdly get a prominent Coca-Cola candy note. It's paired with a consistent undercurrent of smoked wood chips and black pepper. It’s not too long, but it leaves a balanced sweet and smoky impression.

Good (5/10)

Overall: I certainly expected and have had worse! My main complaint is that it doesn't taste very natural, especially on the front of the palate where the sweetness is just a little much. The spice and smoke tie things together nicely though, and I’m happy to report that this seems to have been put together with some degree of thought.