Review #111. Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7yr Rye

Review #111 | /r/Bourbon Review #62 – Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7yr Rye

The Schtick: This is a sourced rye from MGP, bottled by Smooth Ambler.

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Distiller: MGP/LDI (Indiana)

Bottler: Smooth Ambler

ABV: 49.5% ABV

Age: 7 Years

Source: Bottle, Purchased

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Nose: Dill, spearmint, clove, cinnamon, molasses and a solid portion of spicy vanilla rye notes.

Taste: I don’t know if there is a lot of bottle variation here or if it just needed to open up more but this was a spearmint bomb to me. There’s all of the usual suspects when it comes to rye – spicy leather and dust, sweet vanilla and savory maple but with those comes a dill hammer. I don’t notice it in every sample but the MGP dill mint is really evident here. Not to say that it detracts from the quality – I rather enjoy it, but it’s not subtle about making itself known.

Finish: Long and spicy, just like a good rye should be. Lots of dill but also tons of brown sugar. It’s delicious.

I absolutely love the 8yr CS Rye and this 7 year expression, while weaker, doesn’t disappoint. SAOS consistently scores high marks in my book and this bottle is no different. A delicious, inexpensive (if you can find it) dram.

Thanks for reading!

Rank: 7

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Decoded:

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

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