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The aroma is heat, with savory notes of saddle leather-based, oak, darkish caramel, and brown butter. The palate reveals a bit extra sweetness than the nostril, however issues nonetheless skew extra towards the wooden and spice corners of the flavour wheel.
BOTTLE DETAILS
- DISTILLER: Produced and bottled by Clean Ambler however sourced from an undisclosed distillery (almost definitely MGP).
- MASH BILL: 60% corn | 36% Rye | 4% Malted Barley
- AGE: 7 years previous
- YEAR: 2024
- PROOF: 99 proof
- MSRP: $65
- BUY ONLINE: Clean Ambler’s Web site
Drew’s NOTES
SHARE WITH: Clean Ambler followers who fled the model after Large Stage. MGP lovers.
WORTH THE PRICE: The retail value is twice what a bottle of Outdated Scout 7 used to value 10 years in the past. However these have been completely different instances earlier than uber premiumization. Hell, Heaven Hill 6 12 months was nonetheless $11.99 again then. This value, sadly, appears about proper.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle. It helps that the bourbon is fairly good, however you will additionally need this in your shelf for the story, particularly in the event you’ve adopted the model since its earliest days. After some stumbles, it looks like Clean Ambler is squarely again on stable footing, and this bourbon is one thing of a return to its former glory.
OVERALL: Keep in mind when Clean Ambler exploded onto the American whiskey panorama over a decade in the past (2011, to be actual)? They have been sincere about their sourcing (or “scouting,” as they known as it), which helped drinkers see previous the truth that they have been consuming another person’s whiskey. It was excellent whiskey – often nice – and its recognition helped gas the rise of Clean Ambler (together with different NDPs) and the now notorious contract producer MGP. In time, whiskey drinkers within the know went from avoiding bottles labeled “Distilled in Indiana” to in search of them out.
Whereas Outdated Scout bourbon was bottled as a 10-year-old and older (the uncommon Very Outdated Scout), it was the 7-year-old expression that noticed essentially the most complete distribution and put the distillery on the map. Finally, followers went as far as to fly non-public planes into the airport subsequent to the Maxwelton, West Virginia distillery to line up for restricted version single barrels. However the good instances could not final. These early MGP shares dried up quicker than anticipated, and in 2016, the Outdated Scout label needed to be discontinued whereas new MGP shares matured.
Within the meantime, American Whiskey and Large Stage occurred, considerably tarnishing the model’s popularity. Nonetheless, Contradiction (a mix of their remaining MGP and in-house whiskey) was a reminder that Clean Ambler had playing cards left to play. And their younger, house-distilled whiskey was impressing distillery guests (properly, me, not less than). In 2019, Outdated Scout returned with out an age assertion however reportedly hovered round 5 years previous. It was simply an OK bourbon, nevertheless it set the stage for the return of the 7-year, which lastly hit cabinets in March.
And 7 years appears to be nearly the suitable age for Clean Ambler’s present lot of scouted bourbon. The aroma is heat, with savory notes of saddle leather-based, oak, darkish caramel, and brown butter. The palate reveals a bit extra sweetness than the nostril, however issues nonetheless skew extra towards the wooden and spice corners of the flavour wheel. Notes of peanut brittle, floor cinnamon and apple sauce are well-integrated and wrapped in a delicate Kentucky hug. The straightforward, beneficiant end sees a flourish of wealthy, easy syrup and sugared pecans.
Now, the large query I am certain you are dying to ask: Is that this the identical Outdated Scout 7 of yesteryear? No. How may or not it’s? It is a new factor totally, its personal factor, and a welcome addition to the Clean Ambler portfolio.
BRAND NOTES
The numerous rye content material provides daring, candy and spicy flavors. When you ask us, it’s greatest loved neat however, it additionally makes a heck of a cocktail. We’ll allow you to determine that. Our consultants on the distillery share just a few tasting notes to look out for:
Colour: copper, gold hues
Nostril: apple, leather-based, cherry pipe tobacco
Palate: daring, candy, spicy
End: lengthy, easy
Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter acquired a pattern of this product from the model for evaluation. We admire their willingness to permit us to evaluation their merchandise with no strings hooked up. Thanks.
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