The bourbon sample used for this review was provided to us at no cost, courtesy of the respective company.
This is the second release in this series, launched in 2021 and made in West Virginia.
The bourbon has been aged at least five years and is non-chill filtered with a mashbill of 71% corn and 21% rye.
This is my first review of a whiskey made entirely in West Virginia. Let us see how the Mountaineer State fares.
REVIEW:
Vanilla hits the nose immediately when pouring. After the drink settles, spice oak and cinnamon whiffs start to emerge.
The whiskey tricked me into thinking it would be vanilla-heavy, but it turned toward blackberries and pecan wood with a long tart finish due to the blackberries. The whiskey transitioned from tart to spicy, ending with cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
Not too often does a whiskey entirely change its profile from start to finish, but that is precisely what Smooth Ambler does. It’s a good cask-strength bourbon, but at around $50, it may fall victim to more well-known barrel-proof selections.
This whiskey receives 3/5 Barrels.
