Smooth Ambler Old Scout Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon 11 Year

This is my first Smooth Ambler, and also my first whiskey from the state of West Virginia. This Old Scout 11 year old single barrel was bottled at 56.1% ABV and is most likely non chill filtered and natural color of dark copper. The nose starts with big notes of dill and mint right away, followed by rye and toasted corn. The nose predicts a hot palate to follow. Lots of sugary sweetness in the form of bubblegum, cotton candy and candy corn. Rich tobacco, vanilla, strong oak. Brown sugar, maple, caramel, molasses, spicy chocolate. Slightly fruity with cherry hard candies and orange liqueur. Lots of peanuts and some Brazil nuts. A false prediction by the nose as the palate is not nearly as hot as I expected. Big charred oak flavor, rye, mint, peanuts, cloves. Somewhat fruity with apple skins, tart berries, more peanuts. The spice level builds but never gets too hot. Not much in the way of depth for an 11 year old bourbon. A medium to full bodied mouthfeel that is mouth coating and dry. The finish is medium long with peanuts, oak, corn and very dry. The nose showed some real promise and depth, but the palate ended up being nothing but peanuts after a few sips. When just sitting and sipping, and not trying to decipher anything, it’s really not bad and would probably do well with a big ice cube. Not a bad bourbon, but at $54 you could do a lot better for less. Thanks to @LeeEvolved for the sample. 3.75 Cheers

I picked this bottle up directly from the distillery in Maxwelton, WV. This is their Single Barrel, cask strength version of their Old Scout bourbon line. This batch is 11 years old and comes in at a healthy 56.1% ABV. It's a beautiful, shimmering Amber in the tasting glass and smells of strong vanilla, charred oak with a slight herbal hit. It's 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% fairy dust. I drank it until it made me smile and giggle and feel good about life in general- that must've been the magic contained inside. So, I can verify that. On the palate, there's a fantastic and creamy vanilla that washes over your tongue and leaves behind a nice, charred oak residue. Some sweet, red berries round this thing out quite well. It's surprisingly smooth for such a high proof. The finish has more red berry fruitiness, vanilla and a bit of leather tannins that hang around for a bit, leaving you wanting another sip. Overall, a fantastic bourbon from a small, mountain distillery. If you see it at a bar or store near you give it a try. It was $54 at the distillery, but I think it's a bit cheaper if you spot it elsewhere. Good stuff. 4.25 stars. Cheers, my friends.

This was an impulse purchase at DC's Washington Wine & Spirits, for about $85. My 11-year old single barrel is 50.9%, quite low for a cask strength spirit. Smooth Ambler doesn't actually distill this, they select choice barrels from MGP, the massive distillery that is the source of many craft bourbons. Well-selected MGP barrels exhibit a remarkably well-balanced nose, and this is no exception. Toasted oak, bananas foster, and strawberry milkshake. So much oak. The oak that threatened to overwhelm on the nose aggressively assaults on the tongue on the first few sips. This is a dry, spicy, piquant bourbon, and may be a year or so overaged because those oak spices are intense and almost minty on some sips. This bourbon features a dry, woody end, perhaps to the extreme. That wood unfortunately excludes some of the sweeter notes that I'd like to find, instead leaning toward an almost medicinal quality, reminiscent strangely of some Islay scotches like Laphroaig. A hint of black coffee lends more complexity to this dram after a minute or so. I'd opt for almost any Four Roses Private Selection over Old Scout at this price.

Another sample graciously sent by my friend @LeeEvolved. I’m clearly not having this the right way. After my ounce of Laphroaig Cairdeas, I decided to have a Halo chocolate chip ice cream, alongside this. A single barrel 12 yr old bourbon maybe isn’t meant to be had after a Cairdeas, and with Halo high protein ice cream. I found this overly sweet like candy corn, with a burnt mocha flavor ( Laphroaig + Halo chocolate chip?). Thankfully, I have an ounce still left...I need to have this by itself , without proceeding after an amazing Cairdeas. Sorry Lee...I’m dumb enough to have it after the Cairdeas, but smart enough to keep half for another day.

Neat. Binny’s pick. 11 year. Incredibly cherry forward on the nose. Surrounded by mounds of vanilla. Slight hint of mint. Some all spice the deeper I go in. Great, creamy mouth feel. Cherry and vanilla on the tongue that transitions to even more cherry and vanilla which leaves even more cherry and vanilla on the legs. Wow. The nose was subtle and almost disappointing. The rest was a delicious punch in the mouth. This cherry is the most intense and delicious cherry note I have experienced. Incredible.

Nose- The rye comes through immediately. Cinnamon and dark chocolate. Body- Very easy to drink but punches the shit out of your tongue I guess, in a good way. Finish- Mint and black pepper finish you off. Note- Recommended by John Hirsh who we met at the bar. Note- This was actually the twelve year. I had it at Bluegrass Tabern in Lexington KY.