Old Forester - Single Barrel - Barrel Strength
$129.99
Old Forester – Single Barrel – Barrel Strength – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Collection: Store Pick Single Barrel – International Beverage
Proof: 130.5
Age: NAS – 4+ Years based on Straight Bourbon Designation and No Age Statement
Distillery: Old Forester Distilling Co / Brown-Forman Co
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mash: Standard Old Forester Mash – 72% Corn / 18% Rye / 10% Barley
Website: Old Forester Distillery
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: Powerful Nose: You catch high alcohol content, but not overpowering given the Proof. Bold notes are dominant; Smokey/Charred Oak, Tobacco Leaf, Leather, & Black Pepper followed by mature sweet notes of Caramel, Vanilla, and a little Dark Chocolate Covered Cherry.
Taste/Palate: Heat and Spice upfront. Hot and thin. Initially I get Clove, Pepper, and Cinnamon in the first couple seconds. It cools off and gives you some sweet and bold notes in the midpalate; Caramel, Leather, Mild Oak & Barrel Char, Cherry, and Spearmint.
Finish: The heat fades away on the finish and leaves you with the a little lingering Rye Spice, a decent amount of Cherry and Leather are dominant. The finish is medium to long as minutes after your sip you don’t forget you just had an elixir that could turn over a motor.
Value: I don’t normally include the Value rating in my written description. It usually speaks for itself, but I did this time as a matter of comparison. The price tag on this was pretty high. I put it up against some other notable High Proof selections that are less expensive. I did a quick sip of Stagg Jr – Batch 11 (127.9 Proof) and Old Forester High Proof 1920 (115 Proof) to give me perspective on this Single Barrel. If I had a choice Stagg Jr (Now just Stagg) is number 1. For number 2 it’s a tie between 1920 and this Single Barrel – Barrel Strength for different reasons. Given that 1920 and Stagg Jr have an MSRP average that’s much less that this (ultimately determined by the store), I had to weight that into the value rating.
MSRP: Buy but I’d ask the pick for tasting notes first if they have them Price Ceiling: Not above $100 (The most I’d pay for this bottle)
Verdict: Overpriced… But worth a sip if you get a chance. If you’re an avid Bourbon collector it’s not bad to add this to your collection for versatility. It’s bold and mature, but it hits hard which you would expect with such a high proof. I like a bold bourbon of high proof from time to time. This product gives you something that’s very cool. Imagine you’re at the distillery and they tap strait into the barrel and put it in a glass for you to try. These single barrel, barrel strength offerings give you just that. Also since it’s a single barrel there is a high likelihood there are barrels that are top notch, some average, and some not so great – you are at the mercy of the palate of the store that’s selecting. 2 barrels with the same mash, in the same warehouse, during the same time frame, sitting right next to each other in the Rickhouse can taste completely different. You never know what you’re going to get with a single barrel pick. Take that into consideration when forking over the money on this one. If you’re on a budget or can’t find it. 1920 should deliver you a “poor-man’s” experience. In a head to head I would grab 1920 over this. Prohibition Style and barreled at a lower proof, with a better balance.
The Story: My first memory of Old Forester was a fond one. I was in Louisville KY and wandering downtown. The wife and I grabbed a couple of those electric scooters and took off. Ended up in front of Old Forester on Whiskey Row. While I didn’t get a tour I was able to stop in and see their ginormous still (picture below). We grabbed a couple of flights to taste and a couple bottles before we were on our way. It was a good day in Louisville and Old Forester was a part of that.
The Story on this particular bottle… Much less fun. I saw it a few times about 6 months ago and the store was offering it for $129. Oooof. In MI I find bottles are higher priced. A more typical MSRP might be $80 – $100, which is still on the high end. I passed it a few times, but one day I just happened to cash in on some crypto currency so I decided “Treat-Yo-Self”. I bought it and put it on the shelf because I wasn’t in the mood that day for a super high proof sip. It sat there until I saw on some local forums recently where people were calling on others to help find these coveted bottles. Apparently they are in a low-grade unicorn classification now. Who knew. Seeing that convinced me to crack open the bottle and give it a review. And that brings us to today.
The Distillery’s Story: Located on Whiskey Row in Downtown Louisville, KY. Old Forester is known as the First Bottled (Glass) Bourbon in 1870. They made it through Prohibition with a special permit to sell as medicinal. Most distilleries weren’t as lucky and there is a gap in their resume during the prohibition era. They have a solid product line and produce one of the well known Unicorns (Old Forester – Birthday Bourbon). See their link above for details from the distillery in their own words.
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Solid. It hit all of what’s expected.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Nose, Palate, and Finish I rank regardless of cost. Value (recent addition) is ranked based on taste vs price.
Reviewer: David S
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