John Little and John Foster, the co-founders of Smooth Ambler, are beginning a new chapter in American whiskey with the launch of Little & Foster Whiskey Co.
The duo built Smooth Ambler into one of the craft whiskey industry’s most respected names through a combination of quality whiskey, thoughtful blending and a transparent approach to sourcing. Now, after leaving Pernod Ricard, Little and Foster are returning to a smaller-scale operation focused on handcrafting distinctive bourbon without the hype and scarcity often associated with today’s premium whiskey market.
The new company is built around what Little and Foster describe as “Tuesday whiskey”—a whiskey good enough for a celebration but approachable enough to enjoy on an ordinary day. That philosophy emphasizes accessibility, transparency and letting the whiskey speak for itself. Little & Foster will continue to source bourbon from MGP and other distilling partners while concentrating on blending high-quality barrels into distinctive expressions. Wenzel Distilling in Kentucky is serving as the company’s blending and bottling partner.
The first release, Little & Foster Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon, combines high-rye and low-rye MGP bourbon recipes, with each component aged for at least nine years. The six-barrel blend is non-chill filtered and bottled at 107 proof, showcasing the duo’s long-standing expertise in selecting and combining barrels. The resulting bourbon is designed to balance spice, sweetness and mature oak character, demonstrating the company’s belief that thoughtful blending can create something greater than the individual components.
Little & Foster is intentionally starting small, with plans to work with approximately 35 barrels during its first year. Additional limited and special releases are expected as the company develops, each intended to highlight different aspects of the pair’s blending philosophy. For Little and Foster, the venture represents a return to the hands-on, straightforward whiskey-making approach that helped establish their reputations in the first place.
Little & Foster Marriage of Mashbills Bourbon is bottled at 107 proof and carries a suggested retail price of $79.99. The bourbon is currently available directly from Little & Foster, with the company positioning the inaugural release as a whiskey meant to be enjoyed rather than collected and left unopened.
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