Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style

sweet butterscotch, smoky oak, pepper and a little heat at 115 proof. best over an ice chunk. Came back to revisit this 2018 taste in 2021. Vanilla, chocolate, and brown sugar on the nose. Carmel corn and spiced peanuts, dark fruit, chocolate, and lots of spicy grassy rye on the palette. Coating mouthfeel and a little char smoke. Big complex flavors and ethanol burst. Such a great bourbon, better and better.

We’ve reached the end of the countdown… Surprise! It’s a bourbon. #1: Old Forester 1920. Kentucky Straight Bourbon. 57.5% ABV. NAS. Paid $62 This is also the best value for money bottle on this countdown. This countdown was really around 40 bottles, but Distiller did not have all of them listed. One honorable mention, before we start talking about this bourbon, is Lagavulin 12 year 2014 release, which would’ve finished 2nd. Yes, I would rather have this bourbon on most occasions than Lagavulin 12. I did not intentionally make this number 1 for shock value; this made it to the top after it was tried in ~3 blind tastings, and I initially thought this must’ve been Four Roses. I had never tried an Old Forester before, and did not have any expectations for it. Old Forester 1920 is everything I love about bourbon. Power, richness, cherries, cola, fresh oak on top, layers of leather and tobacco beneath. The age is hidden from us, but it’s just the perfect age on the palate. It’s old and young all at once, with dark chocolate, coffee, and leather hinting at some age; vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, and hot chilies hinting at youth. The mouthfeel is silky and luxurious. The finish continues to reward for a long time with dry oak balanced with vanilla and whipped cream on a latte. I have had better bourbons, but have never found and bought one just sitting on a shelf that was this good. I always assumed bourbon lovers are in a ridiculous hunting game, where you either have to expend time and energy participating in lotteries and fraternizing with store/bar owners; or shell out wads of cash in the secondary market. This was a revelation; right up there with the impossible to find WLWs, GTSs, Pappies, Kentucky Owls, etc., but you can still find this one on the shelves for around $60. MARK: 95/100

Ethanol and brown sugar dominate the initial nose, some dark fruit shines through after a few drops of water and some time to breath. The front side of spicy and grainy. The flavor lingers but gives way to a sweet oak and more brown sugar. I’m not normally super fond of high proofs, but it’s solid.