Smooth Ambler Old Scout Bourbon 7 Year

10/22/16 Harpeth Liquors & Wine $34.99 + tax

*Batch 117-Bottled by James on 3/12/15-Aged 7yrs* This had been on my "to try" list for a while and after I received an email from Smooth Ambler saying this and the 10 year were being discontinued due to procurement issues I decided to pick up one of the last two bottles my store had. This one is a light amber moving toward rust. Appropriate for 7 yrs and 99 proof. On the nose, give it a few minutes to open up for a touch of confectionary sweetness (think a custard filled donut) with a hefty dose of rye spice and faint oak. Similar to Wild Turkey. Oddly a splash of water brings a big dose of ethanol to the nose. Tried neat, this one starts off with a promising pink bubblegum sweetness, but that is quickly shoved out of the way by aggressive hot rye spice and bitter oak. Goes down with a short hot finish with tingling astringency left on the palate. A splash does tame the aggressiveness of this somewhat, but not nearly enough. Ice just makes it a muddled mess. Did not mix well either. I am usually a fan of high rye bourbons, but this one has no balance.