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
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To access other whiskies from this brand, click Old Forester.
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