Another Blind Tasting (Part 1) - Smooth Ambler Low Ryes & Buffalo Trace Experimental Wheated
IntroductionI enjoy doing blind tastings. I especially enjoy blind tastings that spontaneously show up in my mailbox. Today, thanks to @jesteva62755 (aka Steve), I am going to do the first of a two-part blind tasting involving low rye, private selection single barrel bourbons from Smooth Ambler and experimental wheated bourbons from Buffalo Trace.
As you can see from the picture above, I know ahead of time that the five bourbons are, in no particular order:
- Smooth Ambler Old Scout 11 Year Old - Astor's Single Barrel #812 (112.6 proof);
- Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection - 12 Year Old Wheated Bourbon from Floor #9 (90.0 proof);
- Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection - 12 Year Old Wheated Bourbon from Floor #1 (90.0 proof);
- Smooth Ambler Old Scout 10 Year Old - Dry85 Single Barrel #1829 (97.4 proof); and
- Smooth Ambler Old Scout 10 Year Old - Binny's Single Barrel #1688 (108.0 proof).
BackgroundI have had the experimental wheated collection before during another two-part blind challenge made possible by another of Steve's friendly whiskey bombs. I cataloged my results on my Twitter account (@bourbonooga) back in late May and mid June 2015. That blind challenge involved five different wheated bourbons from Buffalo Trace, and I correctly picked during both rounds each of Floors #1, #5 and #9. Hopefully, I have similar success in the first part of this blind challenge. I suspect that the key will be to identify either a strong wheated bourbon or Buffalo Trace characteristic, and, if I can spot the two wheated bourbons correctly, I will need to then think about which one has that mustier Buffalo Trace Warehouse C funk that would likely mean it is Floor #1 or which one has more oak or boldness throughout that would likely mean it is Floor #9.I have had several Smooth Ambler Old Scout products, but I have not had any of the barrels involved in this tasting. I currently have two 9 year old Smooth Ambler Old Scout single barrels--one selected by McScrooge's (Barrel # 48.5% abv) and one released by Smooth Ambler (Barrel #1889, 55.9% abv). I suspect that proof and possibly a rye spice/heat bite will be the key to identify whether a pour is one of the low rye Smooth Ambler bourbons or one of the wheated Buffalo Trace bourbons.MethodologyIn Part 1, I will pour half of each sample (25mL) and simply taste through each and make my guesses. I will not open the sealed answer key until after completing Part 2. For Part 2, which will be done the very next day, I have asked my wife to randomize samples A-E, and I will try to then guess which pour was which letter from the previous day. Therefore, Part 1 is a test upon my ability to guess a particular whiskey from a known list using taste, deductive reasoning and (some) palate memory (re: Floors #1 and 9), and Part 2 is a test upon my palate memory a day apart.
Notes for Part 1Sample ASample A is considerably darker than all of the other samples.Sample A smells rich and decadent. The legs take forever to slide down, and they seem to rather stick at the whiskey line and sprout thick whiskey tears that cling to the glass like icicles than to glide back down into the whiskey pool like usual. I pick up oak, caramel, pepper, spicy mustard and a little bit of dark chocolate. Based on nose alone, Sample A is head and shoulders above the others.Sample A tastes great. Lots of oak and caramel working with rich, warm dessert flavors like cinnamon, vanilla and chocolate.Sample A finishes all over the tongue, with a slight bitterness at the back roof of the mouth. The finish is rather long with more tingling in my mouth than down my gullet. It is mostly oak. It is a little sour and salty. I am most reminded of those chocolate and hazelnut filled wafer sticks (like Pepperidge Farm's Pirouette sticks).The proof on Sample A is definitely higher than Sample B.Sample BSample B is not as dark as Sample A, but they are more similar to each other than Sample C and Sample E are to each other. However, Sample B and Sample D are about as similar to each other as Sample C and Sample E.Sample B starts out with some acetone and marker, but there is also some red berry and uncharred oak. The oak comes across more like a higher-aged Elijah Craig (18 or 21 year bottles). I am also smelling cinnamon red hots and honey. Hiding behind the acetone is a bit of almond and marshmallow. The legs are slow and thin, but there are not many legs.Sample B tastes better than it smells. I still get acetone as I go in for a sip, but the flavors are much more like a muted wheat whiskey. Grain flavors are muted, and I get some cherry and vanilla.The finish is short and hard to place anything by the time it is gone.Sample CSample C is the lightest of all of the samples, but it is close in color to Sample E.Sample C has more caramel than Samples A and B. I am not getting much other than caramel, oak and leather. It smells thin, and the legs move quickly down the glass despite being thick.Sample C tastes interesting. I would not have guessed this was a bourbon. It almost tastes like a blended scotch. Lots of honey and a bite of spice. This also tastes the youngest of the group because I get a lot grain character that has not been worked off with the aging process. I know everything is at least 10 years old, but I would have pegged this at 6-8 years without seeing the list.The finish tastes like a Buffalo Trace warehouse smells, which is only adding confusion. But, I know there are two Buffalo Trace wheated bourbons, and Samples B and E taste so similar when compared to Sample C. Sample C is an outlier in this group of five whiskies.The proof seems lows.Sample DMost like Sample B's color.Sample D initially reminds me of Sample A. After a few minutes of air, it actually starts to smell a lot like Sample C.Sample D tastes great. I get similar warm, rich dessert flavors like Sample A, but those flavors are not as intense.The finish is square on the center of the tongue and no bitterness. The finish is relatively long--not as long as Sample A, but certainly longer than Samples B and C, and I get charred oak, pepper spice and almost like that MGP rye dill pickle flavor.Sample ESample E is light and similar to Sample C.Sample E initially reminds me of Sample B. There is an instant hit of green oak and red berry. This one has less acetone at the front. It is interesting that this and Sample B could be Buffalo Trace wheated bourbons because if I did not see the list my nose would be leading me toward whether one is Elijah Craig 18 and the other is Elijah Craig 21. After a few minutes of air, I pick up buckwheat pancakes and maple syrup.Sample E is very similar to Sample B on the taste, but it is a bit richer in flavor--there is more oak, more caramel, and the red fruit is brighter and more in your face.The finish on Sample E is slightly longer than Sample B. I even get a bit of toasted marshmallow and almond on the finish. The finish may be the best part of this whiskey.The proof seems higher than Sample B, but if this is Buffalo Trace and they are the same proof, then I attribute the extra kick on this one to more charred oak coming up.All of this means that I think this would be Floor #9 instead of Floor #1 if Samples B and E are the Buffalo Trace wheated bourbons, as I suspect.Guesses for Part 1Sample A - Clearly the best nose. The best taste, and either the best finish or second-best finish. Sample A tasted like it had the highest or second highest proof. I guess that this is the Smooth Ambler Binny's pick. Really, this was a coin toss between the Binny's and Astor's based on proof and the fact that each pick good private barrels.Sample B - The worst nose. Probably 4th in taste and 5th in finish. I guess that this is Buffalo Trace Floor #1.Sample C - Between this and Sample D for runner-up on nose. The taste is dead last. The finish is middle of the pack or maybe 4th. I guess that this is the Smooth Ambler Dry85 pick.Sample D - Possible runner-up on nose with Sample C. The runner-up on taste. The finish either 1st or 2nd. Sample D tasted like it had the highest or second highest proof. I guess that this is the Smooth Ambler Astor's pick. Really, this was a coin toss between the Binny's and Astor's based on proof and the fact that each pick good private barrels.Sample E - Second to worst nose. A better taste (probably 3rd). The finish is probably middle of the pack or 4th. I guess that this is Buffalo Trace Floor #9.Bottom LineI think Samples A and D are a step ahead of the other three to the tune of at least 0.5-1.0 points on my scale if I had more time to do a full taste and ranking. Sample A was very, very good, and I think I am going to need to hunt down a bottle. Off the top of my head, I could see this scoring anywhere from 8.0 to 9.0 (yes) on my scale. Sample D would be more like 7.5 to 8.0. Sample B came in last, but it was still a good bourbon and likely would fall in the 6.5 to 7.0 range in my scale. Sample D and E would rank similarly. These were not bad or even average bourbons. Above average across the board. I thought that the Buffalo Trace wheated bourbons would win the day (and that still may be the case), but I get the feeling that my two favorites are Smooth Ambler picks that are just bolder and more in your face. Plus, wheated bourbons tend to lack the rich dessert character that I have grown to prefer in my bourbons.Going into Part 2, I would say that Samples B and E should be easy to remember on smell, and Sample A should be easy to remember on taste and finish. I am going to look for Sample C by looking for that weird non-bourbon taste.