Smooth Ambler Old Scout Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon

Around springtime, the local spirits shop stocked their chosen barrels of Smooth Ambler Old Scout Cask Strength Bourbon and Cask Strength Rye. It's unusual that I'm reviewing the bourbon first, considering I prefer rye, but the rye requires an online order with a minimum purchase for free shipping, while the bourbon can be bought locally for a lower price. I acquired this bottle about two weeks ago following a memorial service for a friend's seventeen-year-old son who passed suddenly. After the service, I genuinely needed a drink, which I note here as a personal record rather than just a tasting. I won't elaborate further on the circumstances. Shifting focus to the whiskey, this is a truly peculiar dram. I felt that way upon first opening and tasting it, and my opinion hasn't changed. I'd like to decant it to see how it evolves, but my decanter is currently in use. Did I mention this is an unusual whiskey? Typically, starting a review with "It's not bad, but..." implies it's actually bad. So I can't begin that way. This is peculiar. It has a spicy character akin to rye, yet it also carries bourbon sweetness, though it's less dominant. It's quite yeasty and spicy. In fact, considering it's a store selection for this region, the combination of spice and yeast reminds me of a soft pretzel with spicy mustard, which is strange. I've only encountered a similar spicy mustard and yeasty note in one other bourbon, Russell's Reserve 10 Year, but it's a subtle undertone there. Here, it's the primary characteristic. This whiskey is defined by it. When I mention sweetness, it's perhaps a yeasty powdered sugar flavor reminiscent of funnel cake. It's bottled at 60.8% ABV, which is 121.6 proof by my calculation, so it's potent. It's a 7-year-old store pick. I was initially enthusiastic but admit I was taken aback by the first sip before appreciating its profile. It has a lengthy finish, and the creamy texture is its best attribute. Is it worth fifty dollars? Absolutely. However, considering Larceny BP is still available for fifty dollars in my area, I might have gotten more value from that. But Larceny BP is also online-only, and I was passing a store I don't usually frequent on my way home from the memorial. This was the most distinctive option available at that price point. So, I chose it, and I don't regret it, though it's an unconventional offering. I'm always intrigued by store picks because they are invariably unique, and unless they're terrible, you haven't wasted your money. Anyway, I typically buy a bottle weekly. This week, I got the Lagavulin 11 Guinness Edition, which I'm anticipating. Regarding bourbon, my wife is visiting Nashville, and I asked her to look for the Dickel BiB or Chattanooga Cabernet Cask, so I should have some interesting reviews soon. However, if you know of any under-the-radar bottles she could get there that aren't widely available, please let me know.

A pick from a bourbon club, titled "When the Leche Breaks." Barrel No. 35890. Aged six years and three months. It's 58.2% alcohol by volume, 116.4 proof. It has been open for six weeks. Aroma: Brown sugar, caramel, toasted vanilla, spicy cinnamon bun, allspice, black pepper, sweet wood tannins, medicinal cherry, burnt orange rind, and a touch of ethanol. Taste: Crème brulee, hard caramel candy, cherry throat lozenges, toasted marshmallow, Honey Nut Cheerios, and damp barley. The finish is medium length with sweet and dry wood, light orange peel, black pepper, mild caramel, subtle dill, and light ethanol. Old Scout shares comparable flavors with other MGP bourbons that use a lot of rye, such as Penelope, Pinhook, and Old Soul, but it's definitely the best deal. While those other bourbons cost around $60 for similar age and proof, Old Scout still offers cask strength selections for $35 in NC. That's a fantastic price for most people in today's market. Personally, I'm not that fond of it. They all taste like grainy caramel with hints of citrus, but they aren't as good as Smoke Wagon or other high-end MGP products. I'll still buy selections when they're available because they are amazing values and, at worst, are great for mixing due to the proof and high rye content. But, if you want MGP bourbon or high rye bourbon, you can find better options.

From a store selection in Houston, TX. Barrel No. 27964, aged 5 years, 57.1% abv. Opened 4 weeks. Nose: Gentle caramel candy, a cereal like corn, cinnamon, brown sugar, orange chocolate, with moderate oak and alcohol. Palate: Caramel, brown sugar, grain, and strong rye spice at the start. The finish is medium-long and fiery, with increasing oak, rye spice, and alcohol, plus hints of caramel and orange peel. I often miss these store picks in NC, so a friend bought one in Texas during the holidays. It's a good bourbon, but for this cost, I believe Belle Meade offers a superior MGP high rye bourbon. It has some sharp, younger notes that are smoothed out in the two Belle Meade versions I've tried. With a nearly identical proof and mashbill, you could save $20 and be happier with OGD 114. It's certainly not a bad attempt, but in the $50 range, you can find better MGP products and better high rye/high proof bourbons from different distilleries.

Drinking it straight. First pour from the bottle. From The Party Source, aged five years at 57% alcohol. Deep caramel, almost like salted caramel flan. Very rich. Tastes like graham cracker crust. A subtle hint of green tea. A touch of cherry and cream. That salted caramel really stands out and is an impressive flavor. The texture is medium with a syrupy, slightly grainy feel. Brown sugar and burnt caramel give way to an even more intense salted caramel flavor, graham cracker, and a hint of toffee. The cherries reappear in the legs. My initial thought is this is the best young MGP I've had. That rich, vibrant, layered caramel flavor isn't something I recall from other MGP. There's a slight hint of its youth on the nose but nowhere else. I'd need to compare it blind to Mic Drop 3.0 or a Traverse City pick to be certain, but I believe this is the best MGP I've had that's under six years old. There was a Backbone 5 year GGG pick that I loved, but I don't think it had flavors this vibrant, even at 137 proof. Great job on this selection, Party Source!

A specific bottling from a particular maker, aged 7 years and 114 proof, originating from a specific source. This spirit presents quite differently depending on the glass used. In a glencairn, the aroma offers fruity notes, akin to brandy-soaked grapes, with subtle hints of oak, vanilla, and caramel. The palate begins with a hot, brandy-grape sensation, transitioning to mild oak and caramel. The finish lingers with light oak and caramel. When sampled previously in a rocks glass, the brandy/grape notes vanished, and the oak, caramel, and vanilla became more pronounced, accompanied by traces of maple. For my preference, the rocks glass provided a superior experience compared to the glencairn. I'm uncertain if I would purchase it at full price, but given the discounted cost, it represents good value.

This is an intense Cask Strength Single Barrel Tasting Sample from John Little for Smooth Ambler Distillery in West Virginia. It's made with their original mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley, classifying it as a "high rye" Bourbon. It spends 5 years aging in new Charred American Oak Barrels. This specific recipe was recognized as the World's best single barrel in 2016. It presents a rich beginning with hints of buttered corn, honey, oak, and spices. The bold middle stage introduces notes of tobacco, almonds, nutmeg, and rye spice, leading to a long, palate-tingling finish with flavors of spice cake. Sampled January 2020, bottled August 2022.