very old scout

[rutterb]

local place has 8 or so bottles of very old scout, 19yr. For a 19 yr it was priced competitive or maybe a little lower. anyone tried it yet?

[petrel800]

I picked up a bottle in early Sept, but I haven't opened it yet. The Party Source had a few bottles of it and I thought it was worth trying for the price. It's also something that isn't distributed here in GA, so I figured it would be nice to get something I can't get locally. I haven't seen much on it outside of David Driscoll's blog. The folks out at K&L seemed to really like it.

Scroll down, there are a few different posts on the blog regarding very old scout.

http://spiritsjournal.klwines.com/klwinescom-spirits-blog/month/august-2012

[cowdery]

It's LDI bourbon, as tannic and tart as you'd expect from something that old, but otherwise a bit thin. The bottle I have is 14-years-old. I haven't heard about a 19-year-old.

I reviewed it and several other releases of LDI whiskey in the most recent Bourbon Country Reader. About the 14-year-old I wrote, "dry, with char dominant, and is interesting mostly for what it's missing. You have to keep reminding yourself that, as ingredients, these whiskeys are supposed to be unbalanced." Of course, this bourbon was probably not intended to be aged for 14 years either.

[soonami]

Here in the Mid-Atlantic, I've seen the 11, 14, and 19 year blends of VOS. I haven't tried any of them, but priced at around $60, $70, $80, I think they are pretty fair especially at the higher end.

[cowdery]

They are not blends. They are straight bourbon. I assume they're all LDI.

[michaelturtle1]

They are not blends. They are straight bourbon. I assume they're all LDI.

The KLwines article states the 14 yr is a blend of 4 different age LDI bourbons

[Happyhour24x7]

The 19yo is a blend 19 and 21 yo whiskey, and to my taste it is fantastic; a classic. I have grabbed every bottle I could find, which here wasn't very many. Grab one to try, and i don't think you'll regret it. The flipside of course is that if you love it, savor it, because what's out there is all that there is.

[HighInTheMtns]

The KLwines article states the 14 yr is a blend of 4 different age LDI bourbons

This is still a straight bourbon. With the exception of single barrels and bonds, most bottles of bourbon contain whiskies of different ages.

[soonami]

Semantics...

I meant "blends" in the way that some might say "expressions," but since this wasn't distillate that SA made, aged for different periods of time, I didn't know how ingenuous it would be to call them expressions. I used the term "blend" rather generically like one might use the term "cuvee" which usually means blend.

[TradingBoiler]

local place has 8 or so bottles of very old scout, 19yr. For a 19 yr it was priced competitive or maybe a little lower. anyone tried it yet?

PM me if there is any of these left. Thanks

[smokinjoe]

Semantics...

I meant "blends" in the way that some might say "expressions," but since this wasn't distillate that SA made, aged for different periods of time, I didn't know how ingenuous it would be to call them expressions. I used the term "blend" rather generically like one might use the term "cuvee" which usually means blend.

I know exactly what you mean, and it probably is no big deal, but "blend" is maybe not the best way to state it. Nasty connotations to it. "Marrying", or "Mingling", might be better.

I will now go away and try to pull the string out of my arse...

[macdeffe]

The barrels are sourced from LDI, but I reckon they are not necesarily distilled at LDI ?

When I visited Smooth Ambler I had a walk in the warehouse, when I came back home to Denmark I saw a cask end with DSP KY 8, when going through my photos. This is Four Roses and both companies were at one time owned by Seagrams.

I should have payed more attention to the casks when I was there, instead of when examing my holiday photos. It was an extremely hot day and it was after the June storm so the whole area was out of power. I tried some 14, 19 and 21 yo samples, especially the 19yo was very woody and dry, the 14yo was less and more fruity and you can balance it out by mixing them together :-)

So if you like old woody dry whiskies, almost to the extent of the whiskey richocheting back of your tongue, this is surely something for you

I got a bottle of the yearling as well, and this is probably the best whisky under 3 years I have ever tasted. Still young and youthful, but quite drinkable and moreish as well, and the wheater character really emerges very well - I am not the fan of young whiskies but this bottle has grown legs in my house and started walking :-)

Steffen

PS a few years ago the term "vatting" was used in Scotland for mixing casks after your own wishing, but they want everybody to use the term "blending" today (When is come to scotch whisky). Not sure how happy some (a lot) is about this term, and I understand why it is also opposed used in coinnection with bourbons as it can associate to a catragory named "blends" which is another thing. I don't know what your prefered term is, mingling and mixing are good ones, my prefered term is vatting, but that is because I started out as a scotch drinker

Edited November 13, 2012 by macdeffe

[rutterb]

Thanks for the info. I purchased a bottle of the 19yr today. Looking forward to how it taste.

[cowdery]

Semantics...

I meant "blends" in the way that some might say "expressions," but since this wasn't distillate that SA made, aged for different periods of time, I didn't know how ingenuous it would be to call them expressions. I used the term "blend" rather generically like one might use the term "cuvee" which usually means blend.

[callmeox]

This is still a straight bourbon. With the exception of single barrels and bonds, most bottles of bourbon contain whiskies of different ages.

Bonds can also contain component whiskies of different ages. The requirement is for the same distilling season, not the same age.

[HighInTheMtns]

Bonds can also contain component whiskies of different ages. The requirement is for the same distilling season, not the same age.

Makes sense now that I think it through, thanks for the clarification.

[callmeox]

Makes sense now that I think it through, thanks for the clarification.

And thank you for not making me type out an explanation. :grin:

[angler82]

About 2-3 months ago I bought a similarly aged LDI bourbon (James Pepper 15 year old) and it is wretched. Super thin, medicinal, lots of burning.

Last month I was in NY and a liquor store had Smooth Ambler, all different years including the 14/15 and the 19. I was intrigued but passed based on my experience with James Pepper.

[cowdery]

Bonds can also contain component whiskies of different ages. The requirement is for the same distilling season, not the same age.

Just to be clear, with a bond the difference in age is minimal, i.e., less than 6 months.

[soonami]

Well, don't, because in whiskey, 'blend' is a term of art with a very specific meaning that goes beyond the dictionary meaning. A 'blend' is a combination of two or more whiskeys of different types, or (in American usage) of whiskey and neutral spirit. If you use the word 'blend' to a straight whiskey maker, he is likely to take offense. Especially in American whiskey, blends are considered drek and to use the term in reference to a straight is an insult. Words have consequences. Learn something. If you're talking about a combination or mixture of straight whiskeys of the same type, then use 'combination' or 'mixture' or 'mingling' or something else, but don't use 'blend.' You just confuse your reader and make yourself look ignorant.

No need to be a jerk about it. I know perfectly well what the legal definition of a "blend" is. You don't have to write a book about Bourbon to be knowledgable in the subject. I simply "misspoke" and let the wrong term slip, as one is wont to do if they have a background in another field. I apologize and will strive to never offend you and distillers ever again

Edited November 13, 2012 by soonami

[SmoothAmbler]

I'll let others be the judge of how it tastes, but I'd like to clarify one item. Chuck, and others are correct that this is not a blend. All three variations (11, 14, 19) are indeed a "mingling" of different ages. Over the last several months, I've used the term "blends" with some folks, very sparingly. "Mingling" or "marriage" would be a better term, but more often than not, most people don't understand what that means and if you say "a blend of 14, 15, 17, and 19 year old whiskey", I don't feel like that was misleading. As you all might guess, we are as up-front with folks as possible. Maybe, in an effort to establish some clarity, we actually created some confusion. Hopefully, you all understand our reasoning for doing what we did.

A true "blend" would be something other than what Very Old Scout really is.

And Steffen, thanks for the kind words on our Yearling. Wait until that is 5-7 years old......

[cowdery]

No need to be a jerk about it. I know perfectly well what the legal definition of a "blend" is. You don't have to write a book about Bourbon to be knowledgable in the subject. I simply "misspoke" and let the wrong term slip, as one is wont to do if they have a background in another field. I apologize and will strive to never offend you and distillers ever again

Look, the thread is here for everybody to see. Instead of name-calling, you might want to review the record. You didn't just 'mis-speak,' you doubled-down on your mistake, dismissing it as mere 'semantics.' All the time, you're spreading disinformation in an area where there is already a lot of misunderstanding and confusion. Based on your attitude, if everyone who corrects you when you say something ignorant is a 'jerk,' then I suspect you know a lot of jerks.