Old Scout Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Batch 1
49.5% ABV/99 Proof
$32 to $35
Website
What this Distillery Says:
Check out the information provided over here.
What Richard Says:
Nose: Water opens the nose up to orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla, and a little honey.
Palate: You can definitely taste the spicy high rye content in the mashbill. It starts off mildly sweet and kicks in with a woody rye wallop. Water tames it down a little giving me crisp apples and vanilla.
Finish: Straight out of the bottle it’s all fiery rye and oak barrel. With a little water you still get the spicy rye but it’s more tame and leaves you with a mildly sweet, peppery, and dry finish.
Comments: Drinking strength is a personal thing. When I review whiskeys I do them straight out of the bottle and with varying degrees of water. It allows me to pick up different things that may be hidden by the alcohol. When I’m just enjoying a drink I typically have an ideal alcohol level for regular enjoyment. For Irish whiskey it’s about 43%. For Scotch it’s between 43% and 46%. For Bourbon or Rye it’s usually around 50% ABV. Old Scout seems to be an exception to the rule. This one can be a little overwhelming right out of the bottle. With a little water this is a nice, enjoyable dram that is better than a lot of other things you’ll find on the shelves in the $30 to $35 range. Of course, how you water (or don’t water) your bourbon is completely up to you. I think I’d like to see this same bourbon at 8 years rather than the 5-6 years it’s bottled at now. I think it might help tame it just a little more. Even still, it’s a stand out whiskey.
Rating: Stands Out
I would like to thank John Little at Smooth Ambler for providing me a bottle to review.