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Smooth Ambler Contradiction Bourbon Whiskey
BourbonIssue 172

Smooth Ambler Contradiction Bourbon Whiskey

Smooth Ambler · Smooth Ambler Spirits

92 proofNASWest Virginia, USA
Smooth Ambler's Contradiction lives up to its name — a deliberate blend of their own young distillate with older sourced bourbon that creates productive friction between youth and maturity. The result is a daily drinker with surprising depth, where neither component dominates. Excellent value for cocktails or neat sipping.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Buttery corn leads immediately, followed by a wave of caramel and gentle vanilla. There's a nice undercurrent of toasted oak and a touch of dried apple.

Palate

Medium-bodied with corn sweetness that transitions into butterscotch and soft brown spices. The mid-palate delivers a pleasant interplay of young grain brightness and more mature oak tannins, with a hint of cherry emerging late.

Finish

Medium length with lingering caramel and a dry oak fade. Clean and balanced, with the corn character reasserting itself at the very end.

Specifications
Mash Bill
Blend of straight bourbons (corn-dominant mash bills)
Barrel Type
New charred American oak
Bottled in Bond
No
Single Barrel
No
Wheated
No
Serve & Pair

Cocktail Suggestion

Valley Old Fashioned — 2 oz Smooth Ambler Contradiction · 0.25 oz demerara syrup · 3 dashes Angostura bitters · Stir over ice, strain into rocks glass with a large cube, express orange peel.

Food Pairing

Warm skillet cornbread served with whipped honey butter and a drizzle of sorghum syrup — the corn-on-corn echo amplifies the bourbon's grain-forward character.

The Story

Nestled in the Greenbrier Valley of West Virginia, Smooth Ambler Spirits blends their own pot-still bourbon with older sourced stocks to create a whiskey that embraces the contradiction between maker and merchant.

Train These Aromas
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