Smooth Ambler Old Scout 107 Proof American Whiskey

OHLQ 2019 barrel pick

A friend read somewhere that this was supposed to be MGP stock, so when I saw a bottle on my way out of the store, I figured I'd give it a go. Nose is very light, mostly ethanol aromatics with just a whiff of sweet. Given a few minutes, soft caramel shows up, but there's really not much happening. Palate starts just like the nose finishes; mild alcohol bite and creamy soft caramel. Sadly, it never really goes anywhere else, with just a touch of drying spiciness before finishing cleanly. It's very inoffensive. Very mild. Very neutral. Very unremarkable.

NC Bourbon Society Pick. Finished in a SAOS LE Rye barrel. Solid

Very grainy. Much more so than a typical bourbon.a good change of pace, but just pretty good.

Saw this store pick at Pour Vous and for $35 I thought I’d check it out. The nose at first had some ethanol. But then letting it sit for 5mins the alcohol vapors move aside and allows vanilla, butterscotch, and some smokeyness to come through. The palate is semi sweet that has a lot of corn that jumps out. After the first sip, going back to the nose I get a lot more corn that wasn’t present before. The palate continues with a little bit of Barrel and leather. The finish has a little bite. And it’s on the dryer side. Adding about 5 drops of water this thing opens up really nicely. All of a sudden I get fruit on the nose. The palate is similar than before but I get some cherries this time. All in all, a really nice bottle and price, especially for a store pick. This is one of the rare times where I think I enjoyed something more with just a few drops of water.