Old Forester 100 Proof Review

Hannah’s Old Forester 100 Proof Review

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Revisiting this one shortly after recording our first Podcast Review “We Pick”, Old Forester 100 Proof still sits as a great bourbon at a great value.

VITALS:
Old Forester 100 Proof Review

– 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: 50% (100 proof)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho in 2023

For more information, visit oldforester.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed this drink originally on our podcast, Whiskey for the Ages, and am now revisiting it again, in a Glencairn. I am also with father and editor, Brian, and my sister, Elora for this tasting.

Check out Brian’s review here and Elora’s here!

SETTING:

This bourbon is a diamond in the rough – great taste, great value, great availability. It certainly brings out a wonderment in me, given what I do know about the market and what the bourbon unicorns are. This pour makes me want to reach for a favorite childhood toy – putting together colorful blocks our of the pure joy of simplicity and not having to think hard to have a good time. No tricks, just happiness.

Photo by Mourizal Zativa on Unsplash

NOSE:

This nose offers floral notes to mix with a surprising wheat grain element, even without wheat being a part of the mash bill for this bourbon. Customary to Old Forester products, there are also the classic dark fruits like cherry and fig, mixing with a dark vanilla custard/pudding. The vanilla provides the majority of sugary sweetness, though a simple syrup/almost light caramel are also detected. Not much in the way of spice, except for some of standard baking ones like cinnamon and nutmeg. Both are very subtle however underneath all of these other aromas.

PALATE:
Old Forester 100 Proof Review

– Mouth Feel: Slightly more watery than I was expecting, and it is this component that I’d say is the weakest component to this pour.
– Balance: Initially hotter than a 100 proof would seem and then it tapers into heavy fruits. I wouldn’t say that Old Forester 100 isn’t balanced, but there is a distinct threshold between each flavor profile.
– Visual: Tawny in color, the crown at first looks like it will separate into droplets, but they do eventually coagulate into a fine line of a crown without fast falling, long legs dropping back into the glass.

– Taste: The heat of this is quite shocking at the outset. I have had plenty of very high proof bourbons before that come across the palate softer than this does on that first sip. Despite the shock, I found myself pleasantly surprised on the very first sip during our podcast, and I found myself anxiously looking forward to it again tonight on the second pour. Black pepper blooms, leading the charge of the heat hit. I do think that the alcohol tastes stronger than 100 proof in the glass, but I think the majority of the heat is from this black pepper.

The spice quickly gives way to the heavy fruits of the nose – cherry and fig abound, as if the fruit juice itself were sitting on the palate. These both descend into more of a classic vanilla taste, as opposed to the custard found on the nose.

A Kentucky chew does provoke the alcohol, but not as much as I was ready for. I believe it could be related to the watery mouth feel that the alcohol just cannot find the grip to sting hard. Instead, dried fruit leather comes out and makes the whole palate feel warm.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Long. During our first tasting, I didn’t want to commit a “Long” finish, but tonight on this second tasting, I am willing to concede. The warmth is dominant aspect of this bourbon that just stays, and stays, and stays. The warmth settles into the chest and radiates out.
– Between Sips: There isn’t a great deal of flavor in the pause between sips, but what is there, is slightly bready.

– No More: This stays consistent as I go through the glass, which I am quite grateful for. This continues to impress and I love that I know what I am getting on each sip.

The empty Glencairn is a powerful and spiced oak. It’s so fresh and new, it’s as if the power saw is actually still in the process of powering down after cutting the staves to their measurements.

WORTH THE PRICE?

Absolutely. At $30, this is almost cheap by today’s (2023) bourbon standards. This is a great bourbon to have to introduce to friends who are new to bourbon, and it’s a great value bourbon to keep in your own bunker too. It feels almost like a dirty secret, knowing how good it is behind that deceptive cheap price tag.

OLD FORESTER 100 PROOF REVIEW RATING: 91/100

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Larceny Barrel Proof B522 Review

Hannah’s Larceny Barrel Proof B522 Review

Original review written September 28, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Unfortunately, my least favorite of the Larceny Barrel Proof bunch. It’s on the simpler side with traditional bourbon warmth being the only major offering here. 75/100

VITALS:
Larceny Barrel Proof B522 Review

– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
– Classification: Wheated Bourbon
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: Corn=68%; Wheat=20%; Barley=12%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 61.9% (123.8 proof)
– Price: $64.95 USD in Idaho 2022

“The Larceny line of Bourbon is the modern heir of our historic wheated mashbill, known behind-the-scenes at our distillery as “O.F.D.” of Old Fitzgerald Distillate.” – Heaven Hill Distillery

For more information, visit heavenhill.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the spirit neat with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian. Sister, Elora also enjoyed this pour with us.

Check out Brian’s review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

This is bourbon to have when you’re preoccupied. I imagine sitting perhaps in a music studio, surrounded by sound and ultimate focus is being channeled. This bourbon will keep the fire alive in the gut while not distracting you from the task at hand. It’s a coal powered locomotive machine of determination.

Photo by Caught In Joy on Unsplash

NOSE:

Classic Heaven Hill pepper greets the nose first, followed by a dark molasses, chocolate, and seasoned fig. Along with them is a dark maple syrup, drizzled over the top of a sweet, fluffy waffle. They all meld together well and even though this is high proof, I can really dig into the glass with an inhale, not feeling too afraid about the burn. I can find oak as well, but I think a fresh evergreen pine really lies at the heart of the wood foundation for this bourbon. There’s a bite of freshness all while being consistently soft and unaggressive. Despite the initial inhale of Heaven Hill pepper, this nose really stands out from its distillery peers, carrying dark sweet notes with it. It’s refreshing and original, and I’m looking forward to the sip of this one.

PALATE:
Larceny Barrel Proof B522 Review

– Mouth Feel: Perhaps my favorite aspect of this bourbon, it’s raspy and settles nicely across the palate.
– Balance: Uniform in the way that there isn’t a hero here.
– Visual: Mahogany in color, this left small droplets in a haphazard crown.

– Taste: I can hold this impossibly long on the palate without feeling the burn nearly at all. And while the nose had offered many complex aromas, I’m finding initial impressions of the flavor to be a little lackluster. There’s a yeasty essence and certainly grain, but beyond this, it feels a bit plain. The alcohol grows from the chest – well beyond the ability to taste anything new, but present enough to give a hug. I keep searching and searching but all I am really met with is traditional bourbon heat. These are not flavors I am accustomed to finding in a Larceny Barrel Proof, and I find myself disappointed. If I want a deep and warm pour, I’ll reach for this, but it does not offer the complexity I have come to expect of these BP’s.

A Kentucky chew unfortunately doesn’t evoke any other flavors beyond a deeper oak. The alcohol penetrates the tongue like needles – tightly compacted to make the burn more akin to a limb falling asleep than alcohol burn.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. The warmth is there, and it grows in intensity the longer I sit with this.
– Between Sips: Empty of extra flavors. Really only left with bourbon warmth.

– No More: This, regretfully, didn’t change the further I get into the glass. I wanted to find more flavors, and I traditionally love Larceny Barrel Proof’s for their complex, fruity flavors. They just never appeared in this bourbon.

The empty Glencairn is a beautiful oak sawdust – full of warmth and the Heaven Hill stamp I’ve been hunting for in this bourbon. Why couldn’t this be here earlier?

WORTH THE PRICE?

For $65, I’ll just say it – I’d rather buy Old Forester 1920. The bourbon warmth is the highlight of this Barrel Proof, but beyond that, I’m hitting a wall of simplicity. For $65, even in a growing price market in bourbon, I need a bit more complexity in my pour. This batch isn’t quite worth it for me.

LARCENY BARREL PROOF B522 REVIEW RATING: 75/100

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Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Review

Hannah’s Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Review

Original review written September 21, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Simple, grassy, but fairly affordable. If you like your whiskeys paying homage to the world of grain, this is a bourbon for you. It’s an easy-sipping addition to any bunker, if not a little plain. 85/100

VITALS:
Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Review

– Made In: Graton, California, USA
– Distiller: Undisclosed distilleries in California, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee
– Company: Redwood Empire Distilling
– Age: a blend of 4-12 yr old bourbons
– Mash Bill: Corn=75%; Raw Rye=21%; Malted Barley=4%
– Casks: undisclosed char
– Barrel Entry Proof: undisclosed
– ABV: 45% (90 proof)
– Price: $39.95 USD in California in 2022

“Named for the 14th tallest tree on the planet, Pipe Dream is our first Bourbon whiskey. Pipe Dream Bourbon is made from barrels aged between four and twelve years with a high corn mash bill. Smooth and complex, it is a true sipping whiskey.

FOR EVERY BOTTLE SOLD, WE’LL PLANT A TREE”

Visit redwoodempirewhiskey.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the spirit neat from a Glencairn glass with my sister Elora, along with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

This bourbon is initially striking in its contrast, though it loses it in the palate. I’d love to have Redwood Empire on a cliffside or in the waves, watching flame rivers of lava fall into the ocean, being caught in the spray all the while. This bourbon would ground you in a turbulent environment, and perhaps it’d be that environment that would bring out the best in this bourbon.

Photo by Buzz Andersen on Unsplash

NOSE:

This bourbon crosses the nose with a mellow, yet seasoned pine chased by a salted peanut. The peanuts almost seem encased in a toffee, but it’s not necessarily sweet. Much of this bourbon smells quite savory, with bay leaves, thyme, and a sprinkle of black pepper offering a steep contrast to the toffee – nearly smothering it, in fact. Further contrasts are offered in clashing of the aforementioned salt (now taking on a briny essence like an ocean) and a scorched earth component. Char from wood bark is met with the burnt sap from within, creating such a mixture, it’s absolutely captivating. The alcohol is soft – no chance of feeling a bite if you’re experienced with whiskey.

PALATE:
Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Review

– Mouth Feel: This has an effervescence to it, feelings raspy as if I have pulled a shoot of grass across the palate.
– Balance: Heavy on the grasses and grains – a flavor I don’t mind, but it would be nice to have some extra complexity.
– Visual: Honey in color, this fades to leave behind a faint ring, but it does linger for a significantly long period of time.

– Taste: I can let this sit on my palate almost indefinitely without feeling the slightest hint of a burn. When I push it across the palate, it’s as if I’m chewing on a reed or tall blade of grass. There’s a chewy starch, coupled with some moisture that prevents the flavor from being a distinct hay. I can find rye apart from the grass that offers both a spice and freshness to this bourbon, but it doesn’t change the tone of it much. This tastes fine, but I will admit it to being a one-note wonder. Fortunately for this whiskey, it’s a good note.

Looking for more complexity, I go for the Kentucky chew, and while I find the alcohol waking up (a little), the grass/reed element is still the most potent component of this whiskey.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Medium. I can feel the warmth of the bourbon linger, but it isn’t particularly aggressive and there aren’t many other flavors contributing.
– Between Sips: Grass, grass, and grass are found here in this pause. If I squint, there are some raisins, but they are so fleeting, they hardly count.

– No More: The mouth feel really is what makes this bourbon. It doesn’t get worse from an objective perspective; however, I am starting to long for some complexity.

The empty Glencairn is actually a bit empty in its aroma. There’s oak, but it is oak to hunt for with deep inhales and the nose shoved into the glass. For a bourbon so heavy in its earth component everywhere else, I’m surprised to find it so lacking here.

WORTH THE PRICE?

For $40, you’re not getting robbed, and I won’t have difficulty finishing this, as I do like grassy bourbons. But this is a bit simple for me to ever consider keeping it a permanent addition in the bunker (in the hypothetical situation where I could buy it any time I wanted). I *do* think it’s worth $40, but it’s not a flavor I’m constantly seeking out.

REDWOOD EMPIRE PIPE DREAM REVIEW RATING: 85/100

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