Category: Bourbon Whiskey

Brian’s Old Forester 1920 Bourbon Review

originally written on 11-May-2018 then updated 01-December-2019

OLD FORESTER 1920 BOURBON REVIEW:

Back in the spring of 2018, Old Forester 1920 was my introduction into higher ABV bourbon.  At 115 proof, Brown-Forman’s 1920 can be had neat, but for my novice nose and palate, just a couple drops of distilled water helped me enjoy the whiskey.  (Remember, water can be your friend.)  Now with more experience and many other higher proof offerings drained from their bottles, water is no longer necessary as aromas and flavors are easier to discern.  This is a wonderful juice and it is easy to see why Brown-Forman has made this Whiskey Row offering a regular in their lineup.

OLD FORESTER 1920 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: 57.5% (115 Proof)
No batch or bottle number identifiers
Price: $59.95 USD in Idaho

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

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the re-evaluation, I shared 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 the cork is pulled, the luscious aroma of brown sugar wafts from the bottle as the dram is poured.  When brought to the nose, I felt a quick burn of ethanol, but nothing to cause concern.  Intense nosing brings in a potpourri of fruit blossoms followed by ripe blueberry fruit leather.  The spices are few: nutmeg and white pepper.  Sweetness comes from the bakery: pecan pie, chocolate cream and rich vanilla, with a little vanilla taffy, brown sugar and a nutty chocolate covered toffee thrown in for good measure.  But the dram is not finished … prolonged nosing brings in sensations of old books, toasted pecans and the nice woody aroma of fresh piled seasoned oak sawdust as the juice is enjoyed.  Old Forester 1920 treats the nose to a solid well blended bourbon.

PALATE:

The first sip has a gentle bite with an initial burn which quickly subsides to lingering warmth and there’s the sensation of ripe blueberries as well.  As on the nose the spices are few, but the black pepper and rye are ever-present.  The sweetness of rich vanilla, maple syrup and dark molasses are there, but never in the forefront.  Old Forester 1920 is an earthy and leathery bourbon with hints of toasted pecans and there is plenty of sweet, fresh cut, seasoned old oak to entertain the mouth.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Old Forester 1920 is a big, solid and well blended full-on bourbon.  It is viscous and oily.  I feel as though it can be pushed around as it tickles the tongue.  The dark old oak colored liquid heavily coats the inside of the Glencairn, then breaks into a well defined inverted crown before it gives way to long clinging legs.

FINISH:

The finish is exceptionally long and lingers as the throat tickles and warms after each sip and the mouth salivates as anticipation builds for the next.  When I swallow the liquid, my senses pick up traces of dried fig and mango along with black pepper, rye and a pleasant brininess.  Earthy and deep leather linger in the empty glass as old oak fades away.

MY RATING: 90/100

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

Click 90/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Old Forester.

WHISKEY TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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Hannah’s Old Forester 1920 Bourbon Review

Original review written on December 1, 2019

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The bourbons that have won my heart often seem to have firsts tied to them – first feeling, first favorite, etc. 1920 was one of my first forays into higher proof, so there’s a lot of love between us :). Great bourbon! Read my full Old Forester 1920 Bourbon Review here! 96/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Brown-Forman Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: Corn=72%; Rye=18%; Malted Barley=10%
– Casks: Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 57.5% (115 proof)
– Price: $59.95 USD in Idaho

Visit brown-forman.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:

It’s night time and I imagine only the lights of a gazebo in a dark, summer, rose garden sheltering me in a warm, wooden umbrella. Bathed in the yellow strings of lights and with this bourbon in hand, I’m warm and reveling in the peace of my solitude.

Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash

NOSE:

There is a depth and richness to 1920 with a dark vanilla and alcohol nip with rye. Deep inhales coax out dark brown sugar and REALLY deep inhales get you a dark fruit complexity after your nose hairs stop feeling singed. Blueberry comes to mind along with a black cherry. I can smell the oak in here too, not in a dominant way, but making the aromas smell blended, for sure.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Thick, oily, and viscous. Very satisfying.
– Balance: Very complex – every flavor transitions into the next seamlessly.
– Visual: Burnt amber in color with a nice crown with clinging droplets.

– Taste: The vanilla lightens up on the taste, but the first several sips are filled with a traditional, warm bourbon heat, with the rye taking point, along with a sharp pepper. More sips produce a fig-like-quality that mingles for a moment with pears, a buttery pecan and mellow honey.

A touch of cherry becomes more apparent between sips, but it’s pretty minimal, I admit. Otherwise, that pause is overflowing with bourbon warmth that coats the throat and is just pleasant.

A Kentucky chew doesn’t give you a lot of new flavors to play with, but the viscous mouth feel and 115 proof sends shoots of bourbon electricity through the tongue and behind the teeth. It certainly leaves you with more saliva than you know what to do with.

Even without the excess of flavors, Old Forester 1920, to me, has the most quintessential bourbon profile I have found to date, maybe because of a present oak that courses through every part of this bourbon.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Exceptionally long. Everything from my teeth to my soul is affected.

– No More: More nuts come through the further I get in the glass. That pecan mixed with the oak that also continues to grow is just an absolute treat. Accompanying this is a salty tang that keeps you going back for more, like you’re dying of thirst in the ocean. But it’s a good salt!

The empty Glencairn retains its spiciness mixed with the oak that never left. There is even a dash of cherry, which was a pleasant surprise for me.

I can honestly say I can’t think of anything that could be improved upon.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Yes

RATING: 96/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 96/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Old Forester.

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