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:
– 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:
– 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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