Smooth Ambler Contradiction

[ramblinman]

http://smoothambler.com/spirits/contradiction/

Looks like Smooth Ambler is going to put out a blended bourbon/rye of their own.

[amg]

Even more interesting, it's a blend of their own distillate with sourced.

[squire]

And at 100 proof, hope the price is forgiving.

[Ishad]

I really enjoy the blend of bernheim and wtrb, so this sounds like it will be right up my alley.

[petrel800]

This appears to be a blend of 2 bourbons per the link. A wheated mash bill and a rye mash bill, both straight bourbons. This would still be a bourbon would it not? Basically this is similar to the Parker's Heritage Blend of 2 mashbills.

[maybeling]

They posted more specific information on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/SmoothAmbler

"Contradiction is a blend of straight bourbon whiskey. 27% is a 2 year-old wheated bourbon we make here in West Virginia, and 73% is the 9 year-old bourbon we bottle as Smooth Ambler Old Scout. Marrying the two has some interesting effects: the wheater evens-out the spice inherent in the high-rye mashbill of Old Scout, and the older whiskey pulls the younger, kicking and screaming, into the realm of a drinkability more refined and complex than it could be on its own. Additionally, the flavor profile achieves the result of a four-grain bourbon: corn, wheat, rye, and barley."

[squire]

Like taking a page out of the Scotch blenders handbook. Looks promising.

[Yeti]

I've had the opportunity to try some of this, and it's a nice bourbon. All the pieces are laid bare on the palate, but they agree with one another, and with me. Young and spirity and immediate, but bolstered by the wood influence and bold rye spice of the Old Scout whiskey. Price should be where you expect SA price to be I think, somewhere in the $40s, but that's just a guess.

[Old Dusty]

Josh, thanks for the intel. Knew we could count on you:grin: Anything like the Parker's Blend of Mashbills, or is the wheated component too young for that comparison?

[Artful Drinker]

I've had the opportunity to try some of this, and it's a nice bourbon. All the pieces are laid bare on the palate, but they agree with one another, and with me. Young and spirity and immediate, but bolstered by the wood influence and bold rye spice of the Old Scout whiskey. Price should be where you expect SA price to be I think, somewhere in the $40s, but that's just a guess.

To to be fair, Josh, that's the basic price for everyone else. We'll charge you a helluva lot more. :-)

[Yeti]

Can't draw blood from a stone, John, but I'll be sure to send everything I can your way :-)

Eric, I get something out of PHC6 that is almost "what Stagg Jr should have been" with a lot of tobacco and dark chocolate mixing with the corn sweetness from wheated mashbill component. Definitely a different beast all-together with Contradiction. This is more like a mature aged rye bourbon wrapping it's protective familiarity around an earnest, well crafted young spirit. You get the vibrancy and pop of the younger stuff without settling for the simplicity on the palate and ethanol on the finish.

[Old Dusty]

Can't draw blood from a stone, John, but I'll be sure to send everything I can your way :-)

Eric, I get something out of PHC6 that is almost "what Stagg Jr should have been" with a lot of tobacco and dark chocolate mixing with the corn sweetness from wheated mashbill component. Definitely a different beast all-together with Contradiction. This is more like a mature aged rye bourbon wrapping it's protective familiarity around an earnest, well crafted young spirit. You get the vibrancy and pop of the younger stuff without settling for the simplicity on the palate and ethanol on the finish.

[Balcones Winston]

Tried this in NYC last month. Good stuff. Proud of John's efforts.

[tanstaafl2]

Reminds me a bit, on a purely descriptive level since I have not had a chance to try it yet, of the concept behind HW Rendezvous and Double Rye. But of course it is a rye and not bourbon. Still, the more mature whiskey is blended to try to bring the most out of the younger whiskey as at least part of the case here.

[bicktrav]

This sounds a bit like Noah's Mill, which is a blend of several different mashbills and several different ages. I mean that in a good way because I really enjoy Noah's Mill. You get the bracing bite of youth but it's tempered by the older stuff and the flavors mix really well. Would be interested in seeing how this compares.

[bllygthrd]

Thought you might like to see the bottle. Tried and liked it as well [Yeti does a much better job on tasting notes than I ever will] ... Will add it to my collection.

[cadillac doc]

I bought a bottle this weekend. I've had neat, on a rock and in a Manhattan. Tasty and enjoyable but, at $40+ not likely to buy multiples yet.

[petrel800]

Tried my first glass tonight. I like it, a very nice mingling of new and old. At first taste, the youthful spirit mutes the sweetness of the older spirit. I get a little of the new make/white dog flavors, but it goes nicely into a wheated silkiness until it is overwhelmed by the older spirit and the rye spice. It finishes nicely with a balanced oak as the spiciness of the rye lingers. Solid mouth feel, not watery or overly heavy. Not overly complex with hidden layers of flavor in my opinion, but very good non the less.

I found the nose interesting as well. At first pour, I got a lot of what I considered the older make in the mix, but as it sat, the new make seemed to take over on the nose.

[wmpevans]

Tried my first glass tonight. I like it, a very nice mingling of new and old. At first taste, the youthful spirit mutes the sweetness of the older spirit. I get a little of the new make/white dog flavors, but it goes nicely into a wheated silkiness until it is overwhelmed by the older spirit and the rye spice. It finishes nicely with a balanced oak as the spiciness of the rye lingers. Solid mouth feel, not watery or overly heavy. Not overly complex with hidden layers of flavor in my opinion, but very good non the less.

I found the nose interesting as well. At first pour, I got a lot of what I considered the older make in the mix, but as it sat, the new make seemed to take over on the nose.

Picked up a bottle yesterday. Thanks for the tasting notes Mark.

[CL]

About a year ago, I asked John Little what was in the K&L Wine's Faultline Bourbon. He told me it was a mix of SA's OS 7 and 10 year LDI bourbons. He added that he sees a lot of promise in combining straight bourbons to create delicious whiskey. Looks like he's following that up with Contradiction. I tasted a sample last month and really enjoyed it.

[jvd99]

This looks really cool, I'll be a buyer if it's in the $40 range.

[Old Dusty]

This looks really cool, I'll be a buyer if it's in the $40 range.

$60 seems to be the target price in these parts. That makes it a tough decision for me. I have sampled it and at $40 it's a no brainer. If it were $50 (equivalent to FR PS's) still a good deal. At $60 I'm really losing interest.

[petrel800]

$60 seems to be the target price in these parts. That makes it a tough decision for me. I have sampled it and at $40 it's a no brainer. If it were $50 (equivalent to FR PS's) still a good deal. At $60 I'm really losing interest.

Mine was $54 in GA. In my opinion, its a reasonable price for the current climate and whats in the bottle.

[bllygthrd]

Paid $42 dollars here in WV ...

[CL]

Paid $42 dollars here in WV ...