Bourbon Whiskey Archives – Page 49 of 78

Old Forester 1897 Bourbon

Posted on 12-September-202029-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Old Forester 1897 Bourbon Review:

08-September-2020

OLD FORESTER 1897 BOTTLED-IN-BOND BOURBON REVIEW:

Old Forester 1897 Bourbon is a dark whiskey. From its aromas and flavors to its finish, all the typical bourbon traits are masked in well blended depth. Sure there are traces of signature Brown-Forman cherry notes, but 1897 is subtle, and yet so much more. From the color, aroma and taste and on to the finish, the barrel has clearly influenced this bourbon. Read on for my complete review of this satisfying pour.

OLD FORESTER 1897 BOTTLED-IN-BOND BOURBON VITAL STATS:

Category: Straight Bourbon
Region: Kentucky, USA
Company: Brown-Forman
Distillery: Old Forester Distillery / Brown-Forman Distillers
Mash Bill: 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley
Barrel Char: #4
Barrel entry proof: 125
Age: nas
ABV: 50% (100 Proof)
No batch or bottle number identifiers
Purchase Price: $49.95 USD (2020 – Idaho)

Learn more at https://brown-forman.com/.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, alternate amounts, equaling about 4 ounces, were poured into Glencairns from a newly opened bottle. The bourbon was then enjoyed neat with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

OLD FORESTER 1897 NOSE:

Old Forester 1897 Bourbon has a strong, aromatic nose one can smell many fine aromas as soon as the cork is popped. Even from two feet away, bourbony warm roasted corn and dry dusty grains drift from the glass. When brought to my nose, the faint aroma of tobacco blends with notes of apple. And the Brown-Forman cherry essense I’ve come to expect from the distillery’s offerings is present as well. But dark aromas prevail too. Deep allspice, cinnamon, cloves and rye blend with the juice of figs, dark chocolate and a drop or two of rich vanilla. The entire mixture is nestled in a toffee-like burnt caramel, dark molasses and crushed roasted nuts. Continuing with the dark, there’s plenty of toasted dry old oak and barrel char which fades to musty leather. This bourbon makes me salavate.

OLD FORESTER 1897 PALATE:

The first sip has a subtle bite and is dry and warm. As on the nose, dusty grain, faint tobacco notes and Brown-Forman cherry fruit leather treats the tongue. I am not a cigar smoker, but could see how a nice stick could be enjoyed. When I hold a good sip in my mouth for a prolonged period, smoked graham cracker, rich burnt vanilla, burnt marshmallow skin and caramel make for wonderful treat. While I wouldn’t call 1897 a sweet bourbon, the same dark molasses, toffee sensed on the nose with some bitter walnut, pass to the palate. Old Forester 1897 Bourbon is not overly spicy yet cloves, green pepper and rye dance on the tongue. As I finish each sip, seasoned, dry old oak and smokey, sweet barrel char fade comfortably away.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
This bourbon is solid and soft, smooth and well blended. Clinging droplets suspend from an ill-defined crown. As I roll the glass to coat with liquid, widely spaced legs form, returning the liquid to the terracotta colored pool of the Glencairn.

OLD FORESTER 1897 FINISH:

Old Forester 1897 Bottle-in-Bond Bourbon finishes long, dry and warm with a pleasant herbalness, and elements of dusty corn and grain. Its fruits of fig and the ever-present Brown-Forman cherry peak in and out of seasoned dry old oak and leather. And as I sip the last drops, the soft aroma of old oak planks drying in a warehouse float from the empty Glencairn.

MY OLD FORESTER 1897 RATING: 88/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? YES
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 88/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Old Forester.

OLD FORESTER 1897 TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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1792 Full Proof Bourbon Review

Posted on 18-August-202027-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s 1792 Full Proof Bourbon Review

Original review written August 15, 2020

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The nose of this was fantastic, but sadly – while woody – I felt the palate lacked complexity and there’s a strange aftertaste I can’t seem to shake that I wish I could. 79/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Barton Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Full Proof
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: suspected to be Corn=75%; Rye=15%; Malted Barley=10%
– Casks: Char #3.5
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 62.5% (125 proof)
– Non-chill filtered, however passed through plate and frame filters
– Price: $47.95 USD in Idaho

*Visit 1792bourbon.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

Have this one at a pumpkin patch on a warm, autumn day. The smell of hay and jug of apple cider in the central tenet (you know the one) will couple with the aftertaste well enough. Chat with other pumpkin patch goers and be sure to show off the perfect pumpkin you found!

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash

NOSE:

Sweet, but inoffensive, caramel greets the nose first, with a dusty corn not far behind. Despite being 125 proof, the alcohol is not harsh, rather mixing with a white pepper and rye for a pleasant heat. This smells aged, with a buttery oak and seasoned leather inviting me to take a sip. There is also a nutty element; however, I can’t pinpoint the type. All I can say is that it’s soft and not bitter in the slightest.

Further draws coax out a brown sugar/maple combo that is warm and cozy. This combo, along with the aforementioned caramel, I can visualize a coating a subtly-flavored apple. Other than that, not much in the way of fruit is obvious.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Soft and light. Not much grit or fire at all.
– Balance: Heavy on the woodiness (but a light wood) with little else contributing to complexity.
– Visual: Tawny in color, there is a lingering crown, but minimal legs.

– Taste: A pop of heat and alcohol hit the tongue on the first sip, but it dissipates quickly. The heat is peppery, with definite rye notes. I find a light caramel flavor or maybe even a vanilla, but the dominating flavor to me seems woody… yet a weak wood. Yes, there’s new oak, but I’d also say that it’s quite piney.

The apple (red delicious I’ve decided) is still here, but I have to really hunt for it. I will also say that while the heat initially explodes, and the wood is present, it then falls a little flat with not a lot of complexity to be found. Occasionally, I’ll find a stray dark fruit, but is vanishes so quickly, I can’t identify it. Perhaps cherry?

A Kentucky chew definitely pulls out additional flavors: definitely cherry, white pepper and vanilla. It’s a great flavor combination – one that is always a win for me. However, I wish I didn’t have to feel the intensified alcohol burn of a Kentucky chew to get it.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. There’s an aftertaste, but not much else. The lasting power after a Kentucky chew is longer, but the warmth only lingers on the sides of the tongue and nowhere else.
– Between Sips: Overripe apple with a grassy component lingers between sips. I wish I could say I liked it a lot, but I suppose it’s tolerable.

– No More: Cherries and a bit more warmth come out of the glass the further I go, but ultimately, I’m still not very impressed. The aftertaste of the apple and grass won’t go away, but other than that… dare I say that this a boring pour? Not like any other 125 proof whiskey I’ve had.

The empty Glencairn is a soft and buttery oak. Man, would I have loved to get this level of woody intensity in the taste. The woodiness in the empty glass is at least 5x stronger than in the palate itself.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Barton products, for me, have always been a hit or a miss. While 1792 Full Proof Bourbon isn’t a terrible pour, I find it somewhat boring, and I don’t think I would repurchase at the price found in Idaho.

RATING: 79/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

To access other whiskies with this rating, click 79/100.
Click 1792 Barton to see other whiskies from this distillery.

Hannah’s Whiskey Reviews
Whiskey Reviews

1792 Full Proof Bourbon Review

Posted on 17-August-202026-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s 1792 Full Proof Bourbon Review:

15-August-2020

Review Preperation Notes: I poured off 2 oz. from the neck of the newly opened bottle. I then alternate poured review portions into two Glencairns. The pours rested for 10 minutes before the review began.

1792 FULL PROOF BOURBON REVIEW:

While 1792 Full Proof lights up sinuses with alcohol vapors, any bold aromas usually sensed in a high proof bourbon are muted. In the mouth the liquid is both buttery and gritty and my tongue tingles with an aggressive Kentucky Chew. The flavors aren’t complex — but there’s a lot of subtlety in each sip and the finish is long and warm.

1792 FULL PROOF VITAL STATS:

– Region: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Barton Distillery
– Mashbill: 75% Corn, 15% Rye, and 10% Barley
– Cask: New-Charred Oak
– Barrel Char Level: #3.5
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 62.5% (125 proof)
– Age: nas (Prior to 2013, all bottles were labeled as aged for eight years. 1792 no longer prints age statements on their bottles.)
– According to internet searches and reports, 1792 Full Proof is not chill filtered, but passes through plate and frame filters.
– Availability: Limited Releases each year
– Price: $47.95 USD in Idaho (Feb 2020)

1792 Full Proof is not bottled at the strength it comes out of the barrel, but rather at the original 125 proof it went into the barrel. Therefore water is added to lower the bottle ABV.

Learn more at 1792bourbon.com.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, I enjoyed the juice neat from Glencairn glasses with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

NOSE:

When brought to the nose for the initial waft, strong ethanol alcohol gives the olfactories more than a little burn. After regaining control, fermented tannins and flowering fruit trees mix with dusty roasted corn and and an ever so faint essence of mint. Any fruitiness comes across as apricot and fresh candied orange zest which blend into allspice, powdered ginger, rye and vanilla custard in a crumbled graham cracker crust. Still, all aromas are faint and finish with simple syrup, light brown sugar and light oak.

PALATE:

The first sips bite the lips and tongue with a quick burn. I also taste the tannins and fruit tree blossoms along with the roasted corn sensed on the nose. There are also hints of dried dark fruits and candied citrus which blend into briny black pepper and rye. While not a particularly sweet bourbon, 1792 Full Proof does have nearly hidden elements of light vanilla, an essence of maple flavoring and faint stale pop rocks candy. There are also traces of toasted pecan, seasoned oak, and barrel spice.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
I would have to report 1792 Full Proof is well balanced but it is also quite boring with little complexity in its taste. There is a coppery tickle in the mouth, like sucking on a penny. The juice is a bit rough and gritty but at same time buttery. After each sip, the liquid in the glass falls in sheets, breaking into fast falling legs to return to the tawny colored pool and an ill defined crown does cling inside the Glencairn.

FINISH:

For me, 1792 Full Proof has a long simple finish; its lingering warmth and the occasional trace of maraschino cherry are all that remain in the sip. As the dram is drawn down, oak begins to waft from the Glencairn but it too is faint and quite weak.

MY RATING: 82/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? No
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

To access other whiskeys with this score, click 82/100.
Click 1792 Barton to see other whiskies from this distillery.

WHISKEY TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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