Review: Smooth Ambler Yearling Bourbon

Review: Smooth Ambler Yearling Bourbon

Review: Smooth Ambler Yearling Bourbon

This West Virginia-based distillery produces a variety of spirits, including vodka, gin, and several whiskeys. Yearling is the company’s entry-level Bourbon, double-distilled from a wheated (no rye) mashbill and aged 2 1/2 years in small American oak casks. (At least, my sample was 2 1/2 years old; the overall age appears to vary over time depending on the bottle.)

Smooth Ambler Yearling Bourbon Review

For a young whiskey, Yearling isn’t bad at all. Surprising intensity, with plenty of silky vanilla in the body. Light wood notes on the nose. Secondary flavors include chocolate-covered cherries and some coffee character. Warming finish, with unique notes of mint chocolate as it ends. I never, ever would have guessed this was just 2 1/2 years old… but some whiskeys, like Big Bottom, really can show their stuff at a young age.

92 proof. Reviewed: Batch #001.

A / $62 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Smooth Ambler Yearling Bourbon

USD62
9.5

Rating

9.5/10

A veteran journalist, the author of four books, a published poet, and an award-winning winemaker, Christopher Null has more than 25 years of experience writing about wine and spirits. He founded Drinkhacker in 2007. He also writes regularly about the science of booze for WIRED and is an occasional contributor to ADI's Distiller magazine. He has been a judge for both the American Distilling Institute Judging of Craft Spirits and Whiskies of the World spirits competitions and often works as a consultant, developing formal tasting notes for spirits brands around the world.

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