Old Forester 1897 Bottled In Bond

Just had a pour of this edition of Old Forester's Whiskey Row after spotting it on the shelf at a happy hour. Undoubtedly, the nose is the highlight of this bourbon -- but it may overpromise concerning what follows. When I held it far away, just enough to get a hint of the scent, the strongest element was lemon peel. A more intimate distance yielded sumptuous aromas of maple syrup and vanilla cream. The nose was enough to get me very excited anticipating what was to come. In comparison to that nose, unfortunately, the palate and finish are much lighter in character, featuring an airy caramel and syrup flavor, verging at times on malty. The final notes are slightly astringent, and the drink as a whole has surprisingly little spice for a bourbon at 50% ABV. The finish is nice, warm, leathery, and a tiny bit minty, but lacking a certain wow factor. Old Forester 1897 is a solid 3.5, fun to drink, but a bit of a letdown -- particularly in its lack of complexity -- after a spectacular, shapeshifting nose.

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