Contradiction blends two whiskeys. One is a wheater, or wheated Bourbon and the other is a Bourbon made with rye. We are very proud of our knack for bringing you great spirits we hand-make and excellent spirits we hand-select; Contradiction is the opportunity to enjoy in a single sip, the convergence of those two very different efforts.

Crafted from these hands and cared for from these hearts, Smooth Ambler Spirits is known as much for its premium taste as it is local pride. Set among historic mountains and rich earth, Smooth Ambler pulls the best ingredients from the region.

Smooth Ambler Spirits set out to produce fine artisan spirits by combining patient Appalachian know-how with the finest of American ingredients. Located in the rural Greenbrier Valley of West Virginia, Smooth Ambler uses state-of-the-art distillery equipment in conjunction with the natural resources of the region; high-valley mountain air, natural waters, ideal temperature variations and friendly folks. The result is a truly remarkable crafted drink.

Bottle Size: 750ml

Embedded in the rolling Appalachian hills of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, Smooth Ambler Spirits is a testament to the hard-work and craftsmanship of TAG Galyean and John Little. Working in their state-of-the-art, 5,200 square foot distillery, Galyean and Little combine innovative techniques with locally-sourced grains and a hands-on distillation process to produce remarkable spirits that are bold, complex and perfectly balanced. Old Scout Straight Bourbon Whiskey is steeped in the tradition of the Highland Valley. Together, Galyean and Little hand-selected casks of six and seven year-old small-batch bourbon composed of a mashbill of 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% malted barley. Afterwards, the two distillers blended the bourbon with local mountain water and bottled each bottle by hand at a robust 99 proof (49.5% ABV). The high rye content of Old Scout Straight Bourbon Whiskey gives it an exceptional taste and smoothness, preserved by non-chill and non-carbon filtering. The bourbon has an aroma of tobacco, which opens up to sweet notes of apples and cherries that are nicely balanced by hints of spicy rye, cinnamon and oak. The finish, which is long and flavorful, has notes of baking spices, sweet almond extract and eucalyptus. Old Scout Straight Bourbon Whiskey earned a score of 95 points by Wine Enthusiast and earned the Gold Medal from the American Distilling Institute.

Any distillery in the United States should be a feather in the cap of the local community,""explains master distiller John Little. ""We buy almost all of our grains locally. Our waste goes to a local farmer. We are a tourist attraction for the area and we pay a ton of taxes. This business is what small business in America is all about."" Embedded in the rolling Appalachian hills of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, Smooth Ambler Spirits is a testament to the craftsmanship and hard-work of Little and his cofounder, TAG Galyean. At their 5,200 square-foot distillery, Little and Galyean combine traditional distillation techniques with state-of-the-art equipment to produce remarkable spirits that are bold, complex and perfectly balanced. Big Level Bourbon is a wheated bourbon 100% mashed, distilled, aged, proofed, and bottled onsite at the Smooth Ambler distillery.Handcrafted from a mash bill of 71% corn, 21% wheat, and 8% malted barley, this bold bourbon is distilled using continuous column distillation and aged for 5 years in #4 char 53-gallon barrels.

Any distillery in the United States should be a feather in the cap of the local community,"explains master distiller John Little". We buy almost all of our grains locally. Our waste goes to a local farmer. We are a tourist attraction for the area and we pay a ton of taxes. This business is what small business in America is all about. Embedded in the rolling Appalachian hills of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, Smooth Ambler Spirits is a testament to the craftsmanship and hard-work of Little and his co-founder, TAG Galyean. At their 5,200 square-foot distillery, Little and Galyean combine traditional distillation techniques with state-of-the-art equipment to produce remarkable spirits that are bold, complex and perfectly balanced. Very Old Scout is steeped in the tradition of the Highland Valley. Little sourced some of the last mature stocks of bourbon from Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana and has been secretly blending them in a special cuve. The result Very Old Scout 11-Year-Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a marriage of an eleven year, twelve year and thirteen-year-old bourbon. After blending the different bourbons together, Little brings them to proof using pure mountain water from West Virginia before bottling the bourbon without chill or carbon filtration. This select, 13YO Old Scout Single Barrel is a single barrel release distilled from 84% corn, 8% rye, 8% malt. A low-rye bourbon mash bill from TN. Using a continuous column distillation process. Each bottling of Old Scout Single Barrel Select is unique in age and proof, with a 13-year minimum. It's 95.2 proof (47.6% ABV) but may vary.

About the Brand

Who is crazy enough to start a whiskey company from scratch, in the hills of West Virginia, in a world filled with hundred-year-old Kentucky distilleries? Folks with a fiercely independent spirit, that’s who.

At Smooth Ambler, tradition isn’t a recipe we follow. Our company is literal proof of solid Appalachian know-how. That’s when the hard-working, creative, and resourceful folks of West Virginia come together to make something beautiful (and damn good) that no one else thought possible.

We didn’t just set out to make award-winning whiskey. We also set out to create a source of pride for West Virginians everywhere.

To embrace the best of everything around us - the land, the people, and the resources – to create a business that would make a difference by providing opportunities for the people in our community.

And the way we do it is simple, we do what we think is right, every day. We don’t look to see what our competitors are doing, we don’t look at the past, we do it by being honest, embracing diversity, and creating relationships built on trust.

It’s not complicated, it's the only way we know how to do it.

So yeah, we’re not from Kentucky, but if you couldn’t already tell, we like it that way. Because it turns out you can make bourbon in West Virginia, too. And you don’t need a family name or recipe to make that award-winning whiskey, you just need a fiercely independent spirit. - JL

Our Founders Cask Strength Series is a homemade juice that lets the West Virginia seasons do their thing, and we like that pace. Our mild climate and infusion cooking method makes our rye hit different. It might just take you a second to put your finger on it. Perhaps a second sip?
Our Founders are lovingly sharing this rye recipe with y’all, it’s your choice to share it with your friends, or keep it all to yourself.

Notes: Toasted Oak, Toffee, Sweet Black Tea, Subtle Herb Spice