I started exploring other liquor stores in Hamilton County, Tennessee, a couple months ago, intrigued by the opportunity to find items that weren’t available at the stores I usually go to, especially fun store picks. One I found is Old Scout Straight Bourbon Whiskey, from the Smooth Ambler Spirits Company our of Maxwelton, West Virginia, and a store picks of Cork & Bottle in East Ridge, TN. Smooth Ambler like to find great whiskies, then “haul it home to the mountains of West Virginia and bottle it, right alongside the whiskey we make ourselves.” This juice was “found” in Indiana (MGP?) before being bottled in West Virginia.
Their website shows a regular release of Old Scout described as a high-rye bourbon, with a mashbill consisting of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% barley, then bottled at 99 proof. This barrel pick is a 7 year old barrel and rings in at 109.4 proof (54.7% ABV). Their whiskey is non-chill filtered.
Old Scout Straight Bourbon Whiskey was medium-amber in the glass with a nose that gave up light molasses, vanilla, and oak aromas. The sip was delicately sweet at the beginning, with some brown sugar and cherry before it got to the mid-palate and more cinnamon and rye spice heat started to make themselves known. The finish was long and lingering, with tons of spice and a mild sweetness that left me anticipating the next sip.
Sourced or not, this is an excellent bourbon that I would advise you to be on the lookout for. Not every barrel pick will be the same, of course, but I would definitely do this pick again if they have more bottles left when I go back…and I would be in to sample…and maybe buy…any other barrel picks other stores might do.
