Smooth Ambler Contradiction

Vanilla, oak, spice.

Sampled Batch 69

It smells very leathery. It has more of a mineral flavor than Old Forester Rye does, which is kind of disappointing for a bourbon (the Old Forester Rye is admittedly quite its own thing and very rich though). There is a lot of floral flavor here and there is some vanilla but it pales in comparison. The flavor is kind of mild and bland. It tastes like there is a lot of corn in here, which I tend to like but which tastes bland and uninspiring here. The finish has a little unwanted harshness, but it doesn't have much of an impact on the drink's quality. It tastes kind of obnoxiously wheaty. The fruit is hard to place. It's too sweet. There's some weird buttery maple, but it is very mild. There might be an interesting, rich drink buried under here, but the mineral surface is obnoxious. I might drink this if offered, but it isn't really a sipper. It's fine, but not really worth the calories. The butteriness could be nice if it stood out more and really played a defining role in this drink. Even for me, this is a little sweet. The faintest hint of peanut is present, but it barely matters. Maybe it's a 15. The nose is spicy and fruity with a clear rye presence that doesn't overwhelm. There's some wood and vanilla nose with a little caramel sweetness, but it really smells more like a rye. The palate is very rye. There's some caramel wood balancing it out with some cocoa and vanilla. As a rye, it's actually really good. There's too much rye presence (including mineral) for me to like it as a bourbon though. It's kind of lightly flavored like Evan Williams Black, though its flavor is nicer on the whole. The balance is surprisingly good. Given how little rye is actually in this, it's surprising how much it tastes like rye. There is some wheat in it too, which will definitely lighten it out. I appreciate the sweetness. Distiller is right in calling it harmonious. This seems like a solid 14 because of its balance, and decently varied flavors. The problem is I'm just not a real fan of the light flavor. Drinking more, the caramel sweetness of the corn really does come through, yet it balances nicely with the red apple and isn't overbearing or gross.

Good but Old Scout is better.

Classic bourbon- smooth, yummy, slight burn, one of the best!!! Great everyday drinker and gift!