Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2020

Absolute caramel bomb on the nose with some toasted marshmallow at first? Once it opens up I got a little more of the oak with a hint of char. Sips a little dry with more of the oak notes in the palate. The finish was not very lengthy but the rest of the pour was so delicious I didn’t punish it!

Awesome nose! Cinnamon, oak, vanilla and caramel. Palate is more of these note but it’s very thin and one dimensional. Finish is short and leaves me wanting more. This is a good easy drinking bourbon. There’s not much not to like, but there is no wow factor and no complexity. This bourbon would benefit greatly from a higher proof.

Nice, easy drinker

Nose - Warm cinnamon & cherry caramels, hint of sweet toasted oak, cocoa powder, sweet leather, hint of sweet cream Taste - Rich caramel, dark toffee, wisp of cherry, dark chocolate covered cherries, dark chocolate covered toasted coconut strips, hint of sweet espresso bitterness, light sweet hot peppers, bananas Finish - Lingering cinnamon tingle/heat, caramel transitions to tropical fruits, coconut milk, banana, hint of clove & anise bittersweet spice at the end Score - 88/100 Final Thoughts - This is a very interesting bourbon for sure in that the coconut & banana were a bit unexpected, but then again it has been a while since I've had any Old Forester stuff. I'm a sucker for dark chocolate & coffee, so the fact that these appeared on the palate was quite nice. Fairly balanced from start to finish, but the slight bitter spice tang of the clove & anise at the very end was a bit off putting to me, but this is otherwise a nice balanced bourbon. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Maybe Would I buy a bottle? - Probably not another

The color is a deep and glowing amber, leaving a thin veil of oil on every part of the glass that it touches. The palate is very layered and starts with a big mix of oak, cherry that almost has a mint quality, bacon, buttered toast, vanilla and a hint of grass. There is definitely a lot to explore on the nose with this bourbon and it only gets better the longer it can sit and breathe. The palate is something chewy and starts immediately with oak that then transforms into cherry as the whiskey makes its way into the furthest corners of the mouth brining a wonderful wave of vanilla with it. There is slight wave of pepper that quickly intensifies but never to a point that takes away from the overall smoothness. There are sweet touches of brown sugar and the buttered toast that support the overall palate, making this bourbon taste almost like a hearty breakfast. The finish is medium with lingering oak, cherry and cinnamon, while the sweeter notes of vanilla and brown sugar fade behind them. This bourbon has an incredible nose and palate, but those are not quite backed up by the finish which is sadly not long enough and a bit of a let down. After a couple minutes, it does leave you with a dull, cinnamon aftertaste which ever so slightly takes away from how enjoyable this was to sip on.

Nose is soft but still has pear, orange, barrel char, a healthy amount of oak and almost a melon-like quality. Watermelon and cantaloupe come to mind and then cupcake sweetness. The palate is much better than I assumed. It has a light spice but low heat. Immediately a nice oak not quite baseball glove leather but not quite heavily oak or tannic oak either. The mouthfeel is somewhere between chewy and syrupy but not quite either. Candied oak and coconut candy, dried dark fruits of prune and raisin with a plump boozy coating, something that reminds me of Juicy Fruit gum that grows more of that vanilla cake, perhaps more almond as it lingers. The finish is medium length and semi dry. While it doesn’t taste like banana to me, it does have this warm, dense, banana bread characteristic. Walnut, banana cakiness, light cinnamon and brown sugar and a spritz of orange zest to kind of add this quickness in the finish.