Smooth Ambler Old Scout 10 Year Old Bourbon

I was super impressed with Smooth Ambler's 7 year old Old Scout when I tried it, so I'm definitely looking forward to this one. And unlike the 7yo, I actually will have a chance to buy a bottle of this in a couple of weeks. So this is a pretty good test for that. **Source**: Sample from Master of Malt. **Setup**: Blind in a trio tasting with Old Forester & Four Roses Small Batch
Drank: Neat, in a Glencairn. Rested 15 minutes.

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Nose: Cherry. Deep, chocolatey oak. Creme brulee, nutmeg and berries. Some acetic notes. That is one hell of a nose.
Palate: Milky mouthfeel, some mild spice. More berries.
Finish: Berry note deepens to cherry, caramelized sugar, golden syrup and some leafiness.
Blind Guess: Blanton’s
Overall: SOLID. Pungent and punchy with a depth the cherry/acetone notes that is impressive. Only think I’d mark it down for is that it is maybe too singularly focused on that one note—missing some complexity perhaps.

Rating (given blind): 6

Thoughts: This is was super delicious. I’m still not sure if I liked the 7yo or the 10yo better. They got the same rating from me blind. But I feel like the 10yo got deeper and went further down the cherry/acetone road, while the 7yo has a dustiness about it that I feel lends more complexity to the deep notes. So if I had to choose between them, I’m thinking the 7yo would be my choice. Unfortunately I have no way of getting it, so I will be picking up a bottle of 10yo from Hedonism for sure in a couple of weeks.