Old Scout Single Barrel – Smooth Dramblers Review

This bottle comes from a private pick by a group of Smooth Ambler fans called the Smooth Dramblers. They’re an online group who are deeply in the know with the distillery and get access to some awesome stuff. This Old Scout Single Barrel – Smooth Dramblers pick was brought to us by John when he was visiting Los Angeles and doing an event with the SCWC.

“We can’t buy this, why review it?” A) because I want to and B) because it gives you an idea of the awesome stuff SA has access to. They contract distill with MGP and get the barrels sent to them to age and hold so they’re responsible for a good portion of the production and so they have a large amount of control over the quality; aka, it’s well worth the money to grab these. Especially if you ever see a 13-year-old in the wild!

Old Scout Single Barrel – Smooth Dramblers Review: Details and Tasting Notes

Old Scout Single Barrel - Smooth Dramblers Details

In Smooth Ambler’s Words: Old Scout Single Barrel – Smooth Dramblers

NA – Single Barrel

Old Scout Single Barrel – Smooth Dramblers price, ABV, age and other details

Region: Indiana, USA

Distiller: MGP
Bottler: Smooth Ambler
Mash Bill: 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
Bottled For: The Smooth Dramblers
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 13 Years
ABV: 51.9%

Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Barrel: “Smooth Dramblers”

Price: $50

Old Scout Single Barrel – Smooth Dramblers Tasting Notes

EYE
Cherry wood

NOSE
Complex – cherry-heavy – dark fruit, oak, complex spice, toffee, vanilla and touch of Play Dough (salt clay-like minerality).

PALATE
Oak, complex spice, complex dark fruit, toffee, vanilla and touch of salty minerality and chalk.

FINISH
Long -> Oak, dark fruit, spice and chalk.

BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great balance, full body and an oily feel that turns dry and tannic.

Old Scout Single Barrel – Smooth Dramblers Review: OVERALL

This particular barrel, aged for 13 years, is getting close to being over oaked… but they pulled it just in time. This Old Scout Single Barrel (Smooth Dramblers) is rustic all around with lovely dark notes running through it. The aroma is chewy dark fruit sweetness paired with heavy oak. The palate is heavier on the oak and spice, but propped up with a dense dark fruit.

In all possible ways this is a solid, dense bourbon and one I wished was in my own collection. These are the kind of picks that Smooth Ambler made their name on. And while they didn’t distill it or barrel it they did everything else and that’s no small feat.

SCORE: 90/100 (A-)