BOTM 2/14: Smooth Ambler Old Scout

[fishnbowljoe]

Okay folks, we're headed into basically uncharted territory this month. For the first time, we're gonna go with a bourbon or rye from some place other than major distilleries, or fairly well known NDP's.

The discussion of Smooth Ambler Old Scout here on the site has been mostly sporadic, but, I have noticed a few posts about it lately. I'm also pretty sure that one of our members here recently headed up a private barrel selection of it. I can't think of a better time to have something like this as a BOTM.

Not much from me in the way of comments this month. (No applause, just money. :grin: ) The only thing I can say about Old Scout is that I've sampled it a couple of times, and I thought it was pretty darn good. FWIW, I might have to purchase a bottle in order to do a little more "research".

Let's here what y'all have to say about Smooth Ambler Old Scout. Cheers and happy posting!

Joe

Edited February 2, 2014 by fishnbowljoe

[weller_tex]

Okay folks, we're headed into basically uncharted territory this month. For the first time, we're gonna go with a bourbon or rye from some place other than major distilleries, or fairly well known NDP's.

The discussion of Smooth Ambler Old Scout here on the site has been mostly sporadic, but, I have noticed a few posts about it lately. I'm also pretty sure that one of our members here recently headed up a private barrel selection of it. I can't think of a better time to have something like this as a BOTM.

Not much from me in the way of comments this month. (No applause, just money. :grin: ) The only thing I can say about Old Scout is that I've sampled it a couple of times, and I thought it was pretty darn good. FWIW, I might have to purchase a bottle in order to do a little more "research".

Let's here what y'all have to say about Smooth Ambler Old Scout. Cheers and happy posting!

Joe

I would love to try it but don't see it here in the Houston area

[smknjoe]

Nope, I haven't seen it around here either. I had some samples that were really good thanks to another SBer. I don't know if it was stuff they distilled or sourced, but it was yummy.

[WAINWRIGHT]

They do source their stocks but are currently distilling and aging their own now.John is a member of the board and has been very open with disclosure and they offer a very good product at a more than reasonable price and I am a repeat buyer myself.I look forward to seeing their own stocks hit the shelves in the next couple of years.

[Harry in WashDC]

My SA OS is a 7yr 99 proof bottled in late 2013 by Ashley or so says the label (thanks, Ashley, I am thoroughly enjoying the fruits of your labor). I've been sipping on one ounce neat pours for the last several nights. My formal review is followed by a more informal comment.

I tend to drink rye mash bill bourbons but do drink wheaters. Keep that bias in mind.

Color - copper side of amber

Nose - overripe pear ("Smell me but don't eat me") mixed with the grainy/grassy aroma of a bourbon with rye in its recipe; maybe some sour (like my wife's sourdough bread, yum)

Taste - first sip has the bite of a higher proof but quickly cools to the hint of mint I expected from the rye. BUT, there is no Canadian rye sweetness here, just the slightly musty hint of grain. Mouthfeel has no corn-oil weight but neither is it thin. Not as complex as some bourbons of its age but is still interesting enough to distinguish it. Some kind of menthol or acetone wafting through? Not enough to tell what it is.

Finish - smooth compared to that first sip, and that bourbon warmth lasts awhile.

In short: If we were sitting in a bar and you asked me what I thought, I'd say, "I love it neat or with a chunk of ice, but I dunno about using it in cocktails. Well, maybe in an Old Fashioned."

EDIT - Now that I've read this, I think I'll try it in a Manhattan.

Edited February 2, 2014 by Harry in WashDC

[Vosgar]

I've had 3 different ages of their bourbon and have enjoyed all of them. My bottle of 6yr went pretty fast and it's been my favorite so far. Had a couple of pours of 7yr at a restaurant that was very good and am now working on a barrel pick that is 122.8 proof and 8yrs old. This one needs a little water but is very good as well. Since the bunker has a 7, 10 and 11yr waiting for me I guess you could say I'm a fan of theirs.

P.S. Damn cork on the barrel pick just broke :frown:

Edited February 2, 2014 by Vosgar

[WhiskyRI]

My palate is tuned into the SA OS. John picks good barrels - and he's very open that this is sourced whiskey. In my conversations with him he's very clear that wants to continue sourcing as well as continuing to distill his own. He doesn't see the sourcing as a short-term bridge. What he said, if memory serves correctly given that I'd had a few when I was talking with him, was that "why bother building a brand up only to abandon it". Seemed to make a lot of sense. I currently have a bottle of the SA Straight Rye open. Good stuff. I wish more young distilleries were as open and honest as he is - heck make that almost all distilleries.

[TunnelTiger]

Not available in our state.

[OldKentucky]

I have seen several bottles at different stores throughout the area but have never tried this bourbon. It seems like every bottle I see has a different age statement 5,6,7 years. How are they able to keep a consistent product this way?

[Flyfish]

My SA OS is a 7yr 99 proof bottled in late 2013 by Ashley or so says the label (thanks, Ashley, I am thoroughly enjoying the fruits of your labor).

.

Sounds like our bottles came from the same batch and the same bottler. I found it surprisingly pleasant based on the spotty record of NDPs. Your tasting notes also reflect my experience. A lot of SBers would enjoy this. (Can't vouch for the other iterations. No experience.)

[MyOldKyDram]

Like their sourced stuff quite a bit, John is a class fella, and I absolutely cannot wait until their own distillate is ready to go!

[smokinjoe]

Like their sourced stuff quite a bit, John is a class fella, and I absolutely cannot wait until their own distillate is ready to go!

+1. It's hard to speak on the whiskey at this point for obvious reasons, but I totally dig the man's style here on SB. Also, people who I trust as knowing their stuff speak highly of him, his distillery, his methods, and future potential. Smooth Ambler is definitely on my "looking forward to" radar.

:toast:

[HighInTheMtns]

I have a bottle of a 10 year private selection which I really enjoy. I've had samples of a few other OS/VOS and thought all were delicious.

One of the bottles from that rumored selection by some SBers is heading my way, really excited to try it.

[Old Dusty]

One of the bottles from that rumored selection by some SBers is heading my way, really excited to try it.

[Kyjd75]

I currently have open bottles of the 5 year 99 proof bourbon and the 8 year single barrel cask strength rye. Both are quite good. I have had in the past a bottle of the "at least" 10 year single barrel. Likewise a nice pour. SA is obviously doing a nice job with barrel selections for their OS lineup. I am becoming an SA OS fan, particularly now that several of my preferred bourbons are becoming difficult to find on a regular basis.

[Yeti]

Alright! I'm going to have a lot to say. And some pictures. For now, I'll direct anyone interested to read my distillery trip write-up which covers some basic information about Smooth Ambler, the Old Scout product line, and other miscellaneous tidbits that may, or may not, be relevant.

 

 

[393foureyedfox]

Ive only seen it once, and didnt know anything about it at the time, so I left it.

Barrel proof, age stated, $35-50 (TPS prices, at least), honesty, and good reviews of the whiskey/distillery/owner? I may have to give it a shot next time I see it.

[Tony Santana]

I've only had the VOS 19 year and the OS 7 year, but based on those two I have a 10 year, single barrel 8 year and VOS 11 in the bunker. The 19 year is one of my favorite pours, and the 7, while a different animal, is good as well. I also await some of their own aged product, which if I recall correctly, will be (per Yeti) wheated bourbon.

[Harry in WashDC]

Alright! I'm going to have a lot to say. And some pictures. For now, I'll direct anyone interested to read my distillery trip write-up which covers some basic information about Smooth Ambler, the Old Scout product line, and other miscellaneous tidbits that may, or may not, be relevant.

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?21104-Smooth-Ambler

Thanks for the link, Josh. Just finished reading that thread. One can spend hours reading through the older threads here (and I do) and still miss interesting info. Your tour notes and pictures are superb, and I'm impressed with how open John at SA is about his current offerings and SA's plans for future offerings.

[squire]

Openness gets my interest and a good product gets a repeat buy.

[Yeti]

So, it's entirely possible that I've tried more Old Scout and Very Old Scout products than anyone not named John Little. For those who aren't completely aware, to this point every drop of Old Scout and Very Old Scout has been distilled at DSP-IN-1, LDI/MGPI. There are three recipes spread across the different releases. They break down like this:

75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley - Old Scout Ten, Very Old Scout 11-14-19, any private barrel selection you see that is 10 years or older.

60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley - Old Scout 5-8 year old, Old Scout Single Barrel Cask Strength

95% rye, 5% malted barley - Old Scout Rye, Old Scout Rye Single Barrel Cask Strength

Standard batches are usually made with 5 barrels. If I had to describe it to someone completely uninitiated, I would probably say that it's somewhere in between Four Roses SB and WT 101, but it's still its own animal. And the 7 year now obviously tastes a good bit different than the 5 year did when it debuted. As I understand it the MGPI bulk program is done (at least for now) and the stock that Smooth Ambler has on hand is what it is. The product will continue to progress in age statements as the stocks mature.

As alluded to earlier, I did conduct a private barrel selection over the holidays for my group, the Appalachian Whiskey Society. We were able to select a barrel that falls outside of the guidelines above, a 7 year old expression of the 75/21/4 recipe. It came out just below my "sweet-spot" proof of 114, at 112.8. It is deliciously drinkable straight from the bottle (or use a glass if you're like that :slappin:) and is full of stewed red fruits and warming cinnamon. The nose hit me with candy apples fresh from a carnival stand. During the selection it really was love at first sight, and while we weighed the virtues of many different barrels, I knew long before we finished what I wanted.

I am not the only member involved in selecting Old Scout barrels though, so hopefully someone else will chime in with some of their experiences. I will have a few bottles of this with me to share at the Gazebo this year.

Other excellent private selections are the Single Barrel 92 (from Wisconsin? Somebody bring me one in April!) the Kenwood Liquors 8 year (seriously delicious. Have one open now), and the TPS 10 year barrel 362 and 363. John sent me home from our selection with a box full of samples, so I've tasted nearly 20 different single barrels from their stocks, and the bottom line is that they were all good. I wouldn't necessarily want to put my name on all of them, but purchasing an Old Scout product is a comfortable bet for me knowing the average quality of their stock.

Here are the open bottles I have at the moment:

And here's the whole family:

I included Faultline on the side because it is also a member of the Old Scout family. It is a special blend created exclusively for K&L in California. It is made from both the 60% and 75% recipes at 7 and 10 years respectively. I would put it beside the 14 and 19 VOS and select private barrels as the best product Smooth Ambler has bottled. Anyone with access to a bottle should try obtain one. They run around $40 and it's just absolutely drinkable. Wonderful stuff.

[smknjoe]

I enjoyed the samples you sent me and I still want an AWS glass dammit!

[Yeti]

I enjoyed the samples you sent me and I still want an AWS glass dammit!

I didn't forget! It's the new limited edition 2014 MCHM finished water getting the best of me

PM coming soon.

[Paddy]

Well done again Josh and thank you! Based on your recent tour and reviews, I'm definitely going to get on the bus.

[theglobalguy]

As I understand it the MGPI bulk program is done (at least for now) and the stock that Smooth Ambler has on hand is what it is. The product will continue to progress in age statements as the stocks mature.

Josh, I may have missed in earlier discussion...but have they been aging the sourced product on site since they opened? If they are I could see how climate would result in a different spin on the MGPI product that has popped up elsewhere.