Smooth Ambler Old Scout Straight Bourbon Store Picks 5 Year

Neat. Neck pour. DEPs #3. My second bottle crack for the day of Old Scout. DEPs first two single barrels rank towards the bottom of the barrels I have had. Let’s see if the third time is the charm. A bit hot on the nose, need to approach this one with some caution. There is a green young note coming to the top of this one. Super shiny. From behind that a tart pear emerges with lots of cinnamon and baking spices. Light butterscotch and graham cracker pie crust. The shininess dominates though. This nose makes me nervous... Very thick and vicious. Cinnamon and a bit of musty funk on the tongue. Ah bummer, this one comes off as too young. I was afraid of that. That young green note just dominates the front. It transitions into some nice cherry and then finishes with caramel but the young note just comes around again on the finish. It’s even harsh. Bummer. Blah. I love MGP but when a barrel is too young it is a real turnoff for me. The cherry note redeemed it a bit but all in all a lack luster use of $50.

Neat. Neck pour. Gallenstein #11. I have 5 or 6 different barrels of these Old Scout 5 year picks. Each one is better than any other MGP I have had. Starting to see Remus single barrels in my area but they don’t compare to these Old Scouts. When I saw this bottle at one of my favorite stores today, I was excited despite having so many of these already. Hmm, very subtle on the nose. Nice lightly charred caramel. Freshly baked cinnamon roll. Some baked apple. Some deep clove and baking spices as I sit with it longer. There is a nice vanilla frosting too. Almost 120 proof, but you can’t tell from the nose. No young notes, which again is awesome for these young Old Scouts. Texture is actually light and fluffy, so strange. Vanilla sweetness up front transitions into a delicious caramel bomb. Those baking spices and pepper show up on the legs and the rye makes an appearance on the finish. Those cinnamon baked apples are coming through too. Another winner. Gosh. I’ll have to blind these soon to see which barrel I like most. This barrel is going to be up there. It is so smooth, so crisp. Not very complex I suppose but it really tastes good. Only $60 too. Glad I bought a back up.

Mecklenburg county pick. First pour and wow! Smooth and sweet with a nice finish. This one really surprised me. Best $35 bourbon I’ve had in a while.

Store pick from Garfields. 96.3 proof. Astringent up front. Full, syrup mouth feel with strong notes of vanilla, oak, and honey. Nose has herbal tea and earth tones. Nice burn going down. Good sipper that benefits from a splash of water or a small ice cube. Would make great mixed drinks.

Smooth for high abv. Deep caramel and vanilla. Undertone of cherry on backside

Total Wine and More pick, Tempe Arizona. Barrel # 27886. 56.9% ABV, 5 year age statement. On the nose getting a full gamut of barrel spices; cinnamon, allspice, clove, ginger, and nutmeg. A hint of tamarind, nut, and vanilla underneath, but make no mistake; spicy aromas steal the show. Yeah, there’s some ethanol if you jam your nose in the glass but easily forgivable given the 113 proof. Palate opens with unsalted peanut and buttered popcorn, followed by some standard vanilla/caramel notes and then leading into the big baking spice bloom suggested in the nose. Just read the spice list above again because it’s all there in the finish, which is on the longer side of medium. Some prickly heat makes the proof known, but given the flavor profile it’s not detriment at all. Mouthfeel is full and chewy. A real plus. While I found the standard 99 proof “non store pick” 5 year SAOS to be a little lacking, this one hit the right notes with a richer, fuller experience on every level. It has some similarities to Booker’s (minus some complexity and refinement) As far as value goes, many times the refrain is “this is good but maybe not a rebuy given the price”, whereas this one is pleasantly the opposite; a 113 proof bourbon with no flaws for $42? Clearly rebuy worthy as normally anything of this quality and proof is north of $50.

A little honey, but very boozy. Very drinkable!