Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon

Very strong. Smokey flavor. Bought it for whiskey sours.

Pale reddish straw color - thin body but reasonably oily legs. Thin nose with inescapable ethanol that prevents a long nosing, but not harsh. Mint, vanilla, brown sugar and cereal grain with some cherry notes. A sharp oak and mint open the taste, that fades to coat the mouth in a syrupy, candied vanilla sweetness. Some citrus rind, baking spices, and tart cherry. The finish holds the sweet syrup notes, lingering impressively and outshining the palate. With only a half ounce left in the bottle it has definitely grown on me since opening. I think that’s a deeper appreciation for the OF profile and some palate maturity on my part. A very solid bottle if found in the low $20s. Finish > Palate > Nose.

This was one of the most pleasant surprises of our recent three-day trip to the Bourbon Trail. Old Forester 100 Proof is a very affordable bourbon, going for as little as $20 in some places and widely available for under $25 -- right around, if not slightly under, the price point of Wild Turkey 101. To be honest, it may have supplanted Wild Turkey 101 as my favorite bourbon at this price point. Although Old Forester bottles its bourbons at a younger age than most distilleries (even its more expensive expressions may be 5 or 6 years old), they taste almost double that age, with loads of brown sugar, rich, slightly oily cornbread, sweet buttered corn, and a healthy dollop of spice.

Pretty hot. Not too sweet.