Review #: 509
Description: Smooth Ambler Old Scout Single Barrel: r/Bourbon 5 Year
Spirit: Bourbon
Background: 30 for 30 Day 3: Just like the 6 year, this single barrel comes from Old Scout and distilled at MGP. Picked along side the older one, this one was distilled on May 31st, 2015 and bottled November of 2020. Barrel number 27996.
Distillery – MGP
Bottler – Smooth Ambler
Brand – Old Scout
Selection – r/Bourbon
ABV – 58.1%
Age – 5 Years
Nose – Raisin, dates, lots of oak, coffee beans, dark chocolate,sweet corn, a bit of orange oil comes in but compared to the older, this is much darker and has a stronger barrel influence. Still has a bit of that cake influence though
Taste – Chocolate, vanilla, buttery pastry, strawberry
Finish – Dark chocolate, raisin, roasted corn, bubblegum comes in, a tad on the dry side
Score: 5
Would I buy a bottle? Yes
Thoughts: Always interesting to try things back to back and in a more objective manner. I remember getting these together, and at first taste I definitely preferred the 5 year. Now sitting down, there is still a clear difference, but I have to give a nod to the older barrel being a bit more well rounded. Interesting that this seems to have a bit more of a barrel influence, but that’s also the fun of single barrels.