Old Forester 1870 Bourbon Review Archives

Brian’s Old Forester 1870 Bourbon Review:

reviewed 14-September-2021

OLD FORESTER 1870 BOURBON REVIEW:

Old Forester 1870 is another fine bourbon in the Brown-Forman lineup. From the first waft to the final sip, 1870 represents what I expect from any Old Forester product. Faint notes of fruit and spice on the nose to its sweet woodiness on the palate and finish, this bourbon should earn a spot in anyone’s rotation.

OLD FORESTER 1870 BOURBON VITAL STATS:

Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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: 46.5% (93 Proof)
Label Identifier: “Original Batch”
NABCA* Control State Code: 20369
Purchase Price: $44.95 USD (2021 – Idaho)

_{In 1870 George Garvin Brown created Old Forester on Louisville, KY’s, famous Whiskey Row. In honor of that milestone year in bourbon history, we have crafted a tribute – Old Forester 1870 Original Batch – the first expression in the Old Forester Whiskey Row series.}
^{— Old Forester}

Click Old Forester 1870 Original Batch to learn more.
*NABCA – National Alcohol Beverage Control Association Control State Code

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, alternate amounts, equaling about 4 ounces, were poured into Glencairns. 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 1870 BOURBON NOSE:

The first waft of Old Forester 1870 is dry with little if any burn. I sense sherried wine, fruit tree blossoms on the wind, roasted corn and dry grain along with sweet cherries, apricots, dried dark fruits, and raisins. Just a few wafts in and I’m salivating. 1870’s spices are faint but come through as cinnamon, ginger, white pepper, and rye. And in some nosings there is faint rye bread and subdued notes of buttery graham cracker pie crust. Its sweetness is candy-like: vanilla taffy, butterscotch and even stale marshmallows left in the bag too long. I get buttery caramelized sugar drizzled over toasted almonds as well. Best of all, 1870 has the traditional Old Forester nose as simple dry old oak and gently toasted wood fade in and out of each waft.

OLD FORESTER 1870 BOURBON PALATE:

When Old Forester 1870 is first sipped, there is a dry quick burn, but the whiskey is easy to hold. Second and subsequent sips bring fruit tree blossoms, roasted corn and a dark fruit mixture of currants and raisins. Then come spices of powdered ginger, pepper, and rye and sweets of bittersweet chocolate chips, hard candy, marshmallows, and caramelized sugar. There is a slight medicinal taste but it is sweet and not at all offensive as dry old oak, toasted wood and smoky sweet barrel char round out each mouthful. 1870 is another good bourbon from Brown-Forman.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Old Forester 1870 is well blended and feels silky in my mouth. After each sip, a bourbon curtain is drawn away quickly leaving behind fat clinging legs to transport the liquid to the tawny pool. Then, only a few drops remain, and there is no visible crown in the Glencairn whatsoever.

OLD FORESTER 1870 BOURBON FINISH:

Old Forester 1870 offers a short to medium warm and gentle finish. I get fleeting notes of currants with a touch of white pepper and marshmallows melted over toasted almonds. 1870 fades away on old and dry toasted oak planks with pleasant smoky sweet barrel char. This would be good with S’mores while sitting around a campfire as it’s leatheriness can be drawn from the empty Glencairn.

MY RATING: 87/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
The Old Forester products I’ve enjoyed have been consistently good to great. I will be keeping Old Forester 1870 on my shelf for many future pours.
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process}_.

Click 87/100 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 1870 Bourbon Review

Original review written September 14, 2021

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

This is certainly an easy, daily sipper, and for it being the “Original Batch,” I imagine the people who “originally” drank this expression, were very happy sippers, indeed. 87/100

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: 46.5% (93 proof)
– Price: $44.95 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:

I imagine enjoying Old Forester 1870 someplace small and cozy, perhaps in or around a wooden shed. It may not sound glamorous, but that’s the point. When you are accompanied by a solid sipper, every place you visit, you walk with a pep in your step. It makes the goings easier, and it even makes the scenery – no matter how simple – a bit more beautiful than you could’ve imagined.

Photo by Kevin Jarrett on Unsplash

NOSE:

This smells quintessentially Old Forester, with hazy barrel char erupting from the glass mixing with dark fruit. Sweet, dark berry nectar mixed with a bit of allspice makes for an altogether almost leathery component. There’s a bit of toffee and some mustiness that likely comes from the barrel char. The sweetness in general is the kind of sweetness that is always appetizing, regardless of whether or not you have a sweet tooth, and that certainly makes it even more appealing and enticing. Other than these flavors – which all make me very excited – the nose isn’t particularly complex. It’s a simple, fruity, subtly sweet nose. And there is nothing wrong with that.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: This has a very soft mouth feel. While simplistic, it pairs with the flavors and theme of gentleness quite well.
– Balance: Solid. Nothing fancy or outstanding, but it’s solid all the same.
– Visual: Tawny in color, there is a broken crown with some clinging droplets and some fast-dropping legs.

– Taste: This is very mild, and the flavors are relatively simple (this does not mean bad). I’ve been sipping now for some time, trying to pick apart this palate, but the woody/sawdusty blend is just solid. The wood has a savory herb influence (rosemary), along with some yeast to make it a little bready. There are some nuts here also, but they are quite mild. When really searching, I can find some currants as well as some very dried out huckleberry and cranberries. This is coupled with an organic/un-sweetened maple syrup that marries the fruit together.

The alcohol is inoffensive and easy to hold, and it doesn’t try to bite in the slightest. When I partake in a Kentucky chew, the herbal, savory bread is the lead flavor, backed by a hint of the dried fruits. The fruits eventually envelop the bread component and become a bit more pronounced before fading, once again, to the background.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Short. I get some flavor left over, but there is not much heat present.
– Between Sips: I think the breadiness is what sticks around the most between sips, but there could be some of the dried fruits that linger on the tip of the tongue.

– No More: This stays very consistent throughout the glass, which is not a bad thing. This is a daily sipper through and through, with no surprises, just easy pouring.

The empty Glencairn is another mild oak that carries with it the softest hint of the berry sweetness. Overall, a very good bourbon, and one to which I will certainly return.

WORTH THE PRICE?

For what the proof is, and what the price is, I think this bourbon meets the criteria of what I would consider a good value bourbon. While people may shy away from something that is acknowledged as simple, or even as something that may not meet the expectations that is Old Forester… I think this is a really fine bourbon. Don’t necessarily go into it with the greatest expectations, but it is worth exploring. (I daresay you should always manage anticipations/expectations on first tastings appropriately because you run the risk of hurting you and the whiskey.)

OLD FORESTER 1870 BOURBON REVIEW RATING: 87/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 87/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Old Forester.

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