Palate : The youthful wheat component of the bourbon pops out on first sip. New oak, corn, bubble gum, hints of dark chocolate, and slight amounts of vanilla and honey are present along with a healthy dose of rye spice. Less sweet than the nose and much spicier, the flavor combination seems like it would work great, but in reality the palate comes across as nothing more than ho-hum. I was really hoping there would be more interplay between the older rye and the more youthful wheat seeing as they were left to meld for an additional three months in the barrels. Even though the young wheated component makes up just 27% of the overall blend, this component makes a more pronounced impact, while the rye just seems to bring an enhanced spiciness.

Finish : Spicy upfront and dry in the back, the finish tastes like twist on a version of your typical MGP rye based bourbon. Heavy rye spice, charred oak, and light vanilla all make an immediate appearance. This is followed by leather and a lot of aged oak to cap it off. The finish lingers for too long and overstays it’s welcome, as it feels like I am chewing on a toothpick after a while. If you like really woody, dry finishes then this is for you. The finish is the opposite of the palate in the sense that the younger wheated bourbon seemingly has no impact here.

About Smooth Ambler

Smooth Ambler was founded in West Virginia in 2009—the distillery sources and blends from exceptional casks across the US to create its award-winning Old Scout series. The Old Scout American is a blend of two whiskeys made with Bourbon mash bills – one aged in new oak barrels, the other in re-charred Bourbon casks.