John Little and John Foster have already helped shape one chapter of America’s craft whiskey movement. Now, the founders behind Smooth Ambler are starting another — this time with a deliberately smaller operation, a familiar commitment to transparency and a desire to make whiskey people can actually drink rather than chase.
Little & Foster Whiskey Co. reunites the longtime whiskey partners behind Smooth Ambler, the West Virginia distillery and independent bottler that earned a loyal following by doing something that was not always commonplace during the early days of the craft whiskey boom: telling consumers exactly what was in the bottle.
Their first bourbon under the new venture, Little & Foster Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon, brings that philosophy full circle.
The six-barrel blend combines two MGP bourbon mash bills — one high rye and one low rye — with each component aged at least nine years. The bourbon is bottled at 107 proof, non-chill filtered and carries a suggested retail price of $79.99.
For longtime Smooth Ambler fans, the formula should sound familiar: Find mature whiskey, be upfront about where it came from and use careful barrel selection and blending to create something distinctive.
Little and Foster’s whiskey partnership dates to 2009, when they helped establish Smooth Ambler in West Virginia during the formative years of the modern American craft distilling movement.
The operation initially produced vodka before whiskey became a central focus. Like a number of emerging whiskey companies of the era, Smooth Ambler sourced mature whiskey from MGP in Indiana while its own distilled stocks developed.
The difference was how the company talked about it.
Smooth Ambler clearly differentiated its sourced Old Scout whiskeys from products distilled in West Virginia rather than attempting to blur the distinction. That transparency helped build credibility among increasingly knowledgeable American whiskey drinkers.
It also turned Old Scout into one of the more recognizable labels of the early craft whiskey era.
Little and Foster developed a reputation for selecting barrels and blending mature sourced whiskey, with Old Scout releases and single-barrel selections becoming favorites among retailers, whiskey clubs and enthusiasts.
That success eventually caught the attention of global spirits company Pernod Ricard, which acquired a majority stake in Smooth Ambler in 2017. Years later, with both Little and Foster having moved on from Pernod Ricard, the two decided to return to something closer to where they began.
The result is Little & Foster Whiskey Co. At the center of the new company is a concept Little and Foster describe as “Tuesday whiskey.”
The idea is straightforward: Whiskey should be good enough to pour for a special occasion but accessible enough that someone does not feel guilty opening the bottle on an ordinary Tuesday night.
That philosophy stands in contrast to a bourbon market increasingly defined by limited releases, allocations, lotteries and bottles that sometimes become collectibles before they ever become drinks.
Little & Foster wants its whiskey consumed. The company is emphasizing accessibility, straightforward communication and detailed information about sourcing and production. Rather than relying on elaborate backstories or manufactured scarcity, Little and Foster are returning to the principles that helped establish their reputation during the Smooth Ambler years.
The whiskey is sourced. They tell you that. The blending is where Little & Foster intends to make its mark. Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon is an appropriate introduction to that philosophy. The whiskey combines two MGP bourbons with different mash bills, bringing high-rye and low-rye components together after at least nine years of maturation. Only six barrels went into the blend.
At 107 proof, it also lands in a sweet spot for experienced bourbon drinkers — high enough to preserve intensity and structure without pushing into the increasingly crowded barrel-proof category.
The bourbon is non-chill filtered, allowing more of the whiskey’s natural oils and flavor compounds to remain in the bottle. Kentucky also plays an important role in the new operation. Little & Foster is working with Wenzel Distilling in Covington as its blending and bottling partner.
Do not expect Little & Foster to suddenly flood shelves with whiskey. At least initially, Little and Foster are intentionally keeping the operation small, with plans to work with roughly 35 barrels during the company’s first year.
Additional special releases are expected, providing opportunities for the pair to experiment with different barrels and expressions of their blending philosophy. That small scale could prove to be one of Little & Foster’s greatest strengths.
The American whiskey market is considerably different from the one Little and Foster entered in 2009. Consumers now have hundreds of bourbon brands competing for their attention, and sourced whiskey alone is no longer enough to distinguish a bottle.
Experience, barrel selection and blending matter. Those happen to be the areas where Little and Foster have already demonstrated what they can do.
Marriage of Mashbills feels less like two whiskey veterans trying to recreate Smooth Ambler and more like them returning to the parts of the business they enjoyed most: finding good barrels, blending good whiskey and being straightforward with the people drinking it.
And despite the impressive nine-year age statement and 107 proof, the philosophy behind the bottle remains refreshingly uncomplicated. Open it. Pour it. And if it happens to be Tuesday, even better.
Little & Foster Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon
Classification: Straight bourbon whiskey
Source: MGP, Indiana
Blend: High-rye and low-rye bourbon mash bills
Age: At least 9 years
Blend Size: Six barrels
Proof: 107
Filtration: Non-chill filtered
Suggested Retail Price: $79.99
Blending/Bottling Partner: Wenzel Distilling, Covington, Kentucky
More Information: Little & Foster Whiskey Co.
