Old Forester 1897 Bottled In Bond

Why have I ignored Old Forester until now? One answer is the price of the Whiskey Row series. The other is the underwhelming reviews by the expert reviewers on Distiller. It seems they aren't too keen on the Whiskey Row series, while the user reviews are consistently higher. After buying this I have to agree with users, this is good stuff and I look forward to trying more Old Forester bottles. You can definitely tell it is a Brown-Forman product, I get a lot of similar flavors as I have with Woodford Reserve and its Double Oaked line. For a BiB it is not as pungent as cheaper BiBs. On the nose I get vanilla, oak, and alcohol. But not overpowering, light and delicate. I get more berries on the tongue in addition to that spiced dessert flavor. Not too oak-forward. I also detect banana as I have with Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniel's. That banana flavor is a dead giveaway for Brown-Forman. I do agree with other reviews that the finish is quick and slightly disappointing. I imagined it would linger longer at this proof. The smoke or mustiness pointed out in reviews is non-existent for me. Overall this is a solid, flavorful bourbon that is a little pricey but you won't regret the purchase. I'm really looking forward to trying the higher proof 1920 next.

Cut hay. Nutmeg and cinnamon.

Thick and high quantity legs, high viscosity Nose: excellent nose. Nothing overwhelming or obvious, but good combination of sweet and well balanced. Palate - complex and rich, medium to long finish, mild to medium spice, slight oaky content and slight fruity content.

Dust, dusty corn. Add a drop of water, and I get some green apple.

I'm spoiled the 1910 blows this away, I don't think it's the 100proof either. The 1910 is so smooth...