Little & Foster Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon Review

Little & Foster
Marriage of Mashbills
Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Non-Chill-Filtered
107 Proof
SRP: $79.99
Review

Please enjoy my Little & Foster Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon Review!

From Smooth Ambler and Old Scout to Little & Foster

John Little and John Foster founded Smooth Ambler in West Virginia in 2009. They produced whiskey under two names: Smooth Ambler for the whiskey they distilled themselves and Old Scout for their sourced whiskey from MGP. At a time when many brands were less forthcoming about sourcing, they were transparent about where their whiskey came from, clearly distinguishing the two on their labels. That transparency, along with their blending and single barrel selections, helped Old Scout build a devoted following.

Following Pernod Ricard’s acquisition of Smooth Ambler in 2017 and their subsequent departures, the two reunited to establish Little & Foster Whiskey Co. Their approach centers on what they call “Tuesday whiskey”: whiskey suitable for special occasions but approachable and accessible enough for everyday enjoyment.

Their first release, Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon, brings them back to blending sourced MGP bourbon. It combines six barrels of high-rye and low-rye recipes, each aged at least nine years. Working with Wenzel Distilling in Kentucky for blending and bottling, Little & Foster bottled the bourbon at 107 proof without chill filtration.

Details — Little & Foster Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon Review

• Brand: Little & Foster Whiskey Co.
• Expression: Marriage of Mashbills
• Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Distillery: MGP
• Blending and bottling partner: Wenzel Distilling, Kentucky
• Blend: Two MGP bourbons with different mash bills, one high-rye and one low-rye
• Batch size: Six barrels
• Age: Each component aged at least nine years
• Proof: 107
• Filtration: Non-chill-filtered
• SRP: $79.99

Tasting Notes — Little & Foster Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested: 15 minutes in a Glencairn glass

👉🏻 Nose: Buttery light toffee, vanilla, lightly burnt dark caramel, brown sugar, orange peels, rye spices, hints of spearmint and dried apricots; mild spicy oak; dark cherries later on; alcohol vapor appropriate for the proof
👉🏻 Taste: Mildly sweet, light caramel, hints of buttered popcorn, dark cherries, sweet and tart oranges, mild tannins, mild spicy oak
👉🏻 Finish: Brown sugar, light butter at first, lingering citrus; white pepper spice, tannins, tart citrus and dry spicy wood later on; long; fairly dry in the end with lingering spice, tannins, spicy wood and faint minerality

Buttery Richness, Layered Fruit and a Spicy, Dry Finish

The nose of Little & Foster Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon is a complex combination of flavors. There is buttery richness along with confectionery notes as well as sharper and spicier flavors, like tart orange peels, tangy dried apricots and rye spices, such as cloves. The flavors come in layers, with dark cherries, for example, much more evident later on.

Both the taste and finish also have a progression of flavors. The taste is mildly sweet at first, becoming a bit spicier later on. Likewise, in the finish, mild sweet flavors linger at first, but then a fairly spicy and dry character takes over, with a bit of a lingering tang.

Marriage of Mashbills Brings Back Memories of Old Scout

Little & Foster Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon is a full-flavored, complex pour, just as I would expect from John Little and John Foster. In fact, it has similarities to some of the Old Scouts that I have tried. If you were a fan of what the Johns did previously with MGP bourbons, you’ll likely enjoy this one, too. I know I do. Have you tried Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

I hope you have enjoyed my Little & Foster Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon Review!

Next, revisit our Smooth Ambler Old Scout Bourbon Review for a look at the Johns’ earlier work, or explore two other MGP bourbon blends in our Remus Repeal Reserve IX Review and Tumblin’ Dice Bourbon Review.

Note: This sample was graciously provided by the Brand for my review. I appreciate it!

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!