Dub H.
Yelp
Move over Grey Goose, watch out Jack Daniels and Maker's Mark...Smooth Ambler is on the prowl and once your customers try the small batch, handcrafted spirits they are going to wonder why they haven't been buying true small batch spirits instead of factory liquor.
I first heard about Smooth Ambler on Facebook when lots of friends kept liking them. So I had to try this stuff....crossed an entire state, drove 3 hours to the nearest placeI could buy some and bought a bottle each of the Vodka, Gin, and White Whiskey. The vodka was so good I bought some more bottles to hand out as Christmas presents and everyone loved it! The gin is pretty darn good too if you're into gin. Wasn't sure what to expect with the white whiskey, it's definitely not whiskey, but the start of whiskey...it hasn't been aged in a barrel yet. It was a bit harsh for my likes and is more of a moonshine than a whiskey....so I shoved some apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dash of some other ingredients and let it age for a few weeks...warmed it up and it tasted like warm apple pie in liquid form.
I'm a huge fan of whiskeys and bourbons so when SA released their first batch of Yearling Bourbon I made the 5 hour drive just so I could secure a couple bottles since there were only 350 produced. My wife bought two and I got two...so I saved two bottles of batch 1 as a proud trophy of an excellent WV made bourbon.
When SA released Old Scout I noticed it was aged 5 years...but they had only been open two. They weren't hiding the fact that they "scouted" this great bourbon and great it is. I finished the batch 1 bottle the first time I opened it with two friends, it was that good. This is probably the best bourbon I've tasted and currently on my shelf I have Knob Creek Single Barrel, Four Roses Single Barrel, JD Single Barrel, Middlewest Spritis, 12 year Jameson, and an assortment of micro distilled bourbons and whiskeys and Old Scout is my favorite, especially at a $34 price point.
The stillhouse at SAS is pretty cool too. Here you get to meet the owners, the guys who actually make the spirits and pour their heart and soul into it. It's a small operation with only 4 employees. There is a bar for tasting or ordering a mixed drink, a gift shop (got me a flask, shot glass, drinking glass, and hat), and of course where the magic happens--the stillhouse. On the tour John told us that Jack Daniels spills more whiskey moving their barrels to bottles than SAS makes in a complete run, talk about small batch!
SAS makes an exceptional product, the owners are really good guys, and they're located in America's Coolest small town Lewisburg, WV. Stop by for a tour and a taste, you won't be disappointed.