Smooth Ambler Old Scout SAOS SB

[LCWoody]

To me all OS SB is good, some are just better then others. Some of the latest releases have been a little higher proof (110 to 120's) all have been very good. I would pick up a few and try. I know color is not supposed to be important but it seems like the darker bourbon has more flavor, so in this case look for a darker color. 

[HoustonNit]

That'll work go for the dark juice.

[JTaylor]

8 hours ago, flahute said:

You haven't been a member here long enough otherwise you'd know that the answer is "all of them".

Then determine which one you like the best and go back for more!

This is the correct answer...  It is also the correct way to build your bunker... 

They will all be "good"... but one of them will probably be amazing to you. If you don't try them all you could miss that "one"... 

[b1gcountry]

Opinion not permission.

For instance blindly going in always go for the higher proof or oldest, or lowest no. barrel???

You guys seem like true bourbon nerd yodas and I'd like to take into account your opinion.

Apologies, I thought you were looking for justification for getting both

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

[namadio]

Does anyone have an email address for Smooth Ambler that people actually respond to?  I emailed all the addresses on their website that I could find and never received a reply.  I'll be a few hours from their distillery in a few months with a cadre of active duty SOF with me for the weekend.  Was trying to organize a trip there.  I keep forgetting to call them during normal people hours outside of my work hours.

[MOwhisky4me]

Ok, I ran into an unexpected dilemma last night...

 

I dropped by a LS with the intent of picking up a SAOS SB CS for the bunker. They had 4 bottles on the shelf, all from the same barrel (#3476 if I remember correctly) with 2 bottled by Sarah (yay!) and 2 bottled by James (what the...!?). I typically try to grab the Sarah bottles because, well just because, but if multiple bottlers are bottling from the same barrel then I can't see how it makes any difference.

 

How common is it to find SAOS SB that's bottled this way? If it's relatively common doesn't that take some wind out of the "Sarah Sail"?

 

Heck it threw me off so much that I ended up going home with a fifth of Belle Meade instead of my intended target!

[emr454]

Just now, MOwhisky4me said:

if multiple bottlers are bottling from the same barrel then I can't see how it makes any difference.

 

That's how I've always looked at it. Honestly I'm more interested in the person(s) picking the barrel and deciding it's reached maturity.

[HoustonNit]

Ok, I ran into an unexpected dilemma last night...
 
I dropped by a LS with the intent of picking up a SAOS SB CS for the bunker. They had 4 bottles on the shelf, all from the same barrel (#3476 if I remember correctly) with 2 bottled by Sarah (yay!) and 2 bottled by James (what the...!?). I typically try to grab the Sarah bottles because, well just because, but if multiple bottlers are bottling from the same barrel then I can't see how it makes any difference.
 
How common is it to find SAOS SB that's bottled this way? If it's relatively common doesn't that take some wind out of the "Sarah Sail"?
 
Heck it threw me off so much that I ended up going home with a fifth of Belle Meade instead of my intended target!

[DonutsNBourbon]

2 hours ago, HoustonNit said:

 

 

 

hahaha... exactly this.  don't think it matters either way but you should get one of each and do a SBS to be sure

[Government Beard]

3 hours ago, emr454 said:

 

That's how I've always looked at it. Honestly I'm more interested in the person(s) picking the barrel and deciding it's reached maturity.

 

Pretty much this.

 

Where did this James or Sarah stuff come about? I am generally curious. I don't think Sarah or James are picking the barrels in as much as, obviously, writing down pertinent information as the bottles make their way down the line.

 

Oh well. To each his own.

 

[kevinbrink]

22 minutes ago, Government Beard said:

 

Pretty much this.

 

Where did this James or Sarah stuff come about? I am generally curious. I don't think Sarah or James are picking the barrels in as much as, obviously, writing down pertinent information as the bottles make their way down the line.

 

Oh well. To each his own.

 

I'm pretty sure the Sarah/James thing is about as serious as the Four Roses Leather Neckband Conspiracy.

[MOwhisky4me]

3 hours ago, HoustonNit said:

 

 

 

 

It was a little bit of both honestly. I tend to buy what I like regardless of what others sing the praises of. That said, the only bottle of SAOS I've had that I wasn't too fond of was bottled by James so I started buying bottles with Sarah's name on 'em (I can be a little anal about things at times). And then they went and threw that conundrum at me last night. Wish I would have taken the approach DonutsNBourbon suggested above... Should have brought one of each and done a prolonged SxS over this upcoming weekend!

[Louisiana]

 

41 minutes ago, MOwhisky4me said:

 

It was a little bit of both honestly. I tend to buy what I like regardless of what others sing the praises of. That said, the only bottle of SAOS I've had that I wasn't too fond of was bottled by James so I started buying bottles with Sarah's name on 'em (I can be a little anal about things at times). And then they went and threw that conundrum at me last night. Wish I would have taken the approach DonutsNBourbon suggested above... Should have brought one of each and done a prolonged SxS over this upcoming weekend!

 

You can always go back. Take one for the team man!