Company: Smooth Ambler Spirits Co.
Distillery: MGP
Region: Maxwelton, West Virginia
Aging: 5 Years
Barrel No: 24872
ABV: 60.7%
Proof: 121.4
Mash Bill: 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
Price: $50
Appearance: Dark Honey
Smooth Ambler Old Scout – 5 Year Tasting Notes
Nose: Rich caramel, deeply toasted oak, buttery cinnamon and brown sugar, dark fruits, cherry, plum, clove, light touch of smoke
Palate: Lots of heat, bold caramel, spicy pepper, oily and buttery, oak, a bit of barbeque spiciness like smokey beef jerky
Finish: Heavy bold finish – coats your entire mouth for at least 30 seconds with flavors of caramel, toasted oak, lots of spice, and earthy herbal notes
Is Old Scout an Approachable Whiskey?
Old Scout 5 Year is big and bold. It is not a whiskey for beginners.
Is Old Scout Complex?
This particular bottle of Smooth Ambler Old Scout is 5 Years old and is a Fine Wine and Good Spirits Exclusive Barrel chosen by the PA FWGS liquor store. Two weeks ago, I saw another bottle of Old Scout Barrel Exclusive, but it was a 7 year and I really enjoyed it. I wrote the full Smooth Ambler Old Scout – 7 Year FWGS Exclusive Barrel Review on that one and since I enjoyed it so much, I decided to grab this 5 year bottle when I saw it on the shelf to compare.
While this bottle of Old Scout is only 5 years compared to the 7 years of my other bottle, it still had a lot of similarities. I still got the smokey and extremely peppery and spicy flavors that felt like they lit your mouth on fire for the first sip.
But after a few sips, the flavors really started to settle in. The combination of smokey and peppery reminded me of beef jerky and sitting around the campfire.
I will say that the 5 Year bottle is not nearly as impressive to me as the 7 year. Even though the 7 year bottle is stronger with a higher ABV, it just seemed more balanced and enjoyable.
What are Old Scout’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Old Scout 5 Year’s strongest attribute is its smokey and pepper spice notes. They’re so big and bold that you get blown away by them on the first taste. Then as you sit with the bottle, it starts to open up (and my taste buds became numb) so it started to sit a little better on the palate.
Is Old Scout a go-to whisky?
Smooth Ambler Old Scout 5 Year is not really a go-to whiskey. It’s so powerful that I can’t see myself reaching for this one on a normal relaxing night.
This is a bottle I’d reach for when I really need a kick – like after a rough day when you just need to take the edge off and not think about anything.
Is Old Scout priced accurately to its quality?
Old Scout 5 Year packs a decent punch for its price tag. At $50, it has big and bold flavors that don’t disappoint.
With that being said, I think there are better bottles that you can buy for $50 like the Old Scout 7 Year, New Riff Single Barrel, and Old Forester 1910.
Conclusion for Old Scout
I really enjoy the brown sugar and oak flavors of this bottle blended with big and bold rye and pepper spices. It even has a bit of smokiness to it that is quite enjoyable.
If you like big, heavy rye whiskeys this bottle of bourbon could be right up your alley. While it’s still a bourbon with 60% corn, the 36% rye really shines through.
You get that spicy kick of a strong rye, but also the sweet caramel and toasted oak notes of your typical bourbon.
I would likely not purchase another bottle of this, I would buy another of the Old Scout 7-Year if I saw it again. I didn’t expect the 5-year to live up to its older brother in terms of flavor, but this bottle just wasn’t as smooth as I would have hoped.
Let Us Know What You Think
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Thanks for reading and cheers!
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