Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon

A little hot for 100 proof but a great value. Banana and creme brule notes. Great if you want more kick than 86.

I got a fifth of this whisky for $24.99 at Kelly Liquors in the Mountain Run Shopping Center in Albuquerque. The mash bill is 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% barley. There's no age statement, and it's 100 proof. In the glass the color is new copper. NOSE: I came back to the nose several times, and got more notes each time. In the order in which I discerned them, I got corn, grass, honey, cinnamon, a spice which might have been paprika, honey, vanilla icing, milk chocolate, a little bit of smoke (hickory?), a very faint oakiness (I don't believe I've ever gotten oak on the nose before), and buttered roasting ears. MOUTHFEEL: Initially it was creamy, but on subsequent sips it seemed like the creaminess was slightly watered down. TASTE: Honey, candy orange slices, red pepper, oak, and lemon. I'm getting used to not getting as much on the tongue as I get on the nose, but this is a big difference. FINISH: Long, beginning with oak, then black pepper, walnuts, and some jalapeño in the throat. SUMMARY: I like the metal screw cap on this bottle. A cork doesn't improve the whisky, and a cap is easier to deal with. This is good bourbon. However, it lacks the notes I've come to expect as typical of bourbon - bananas, caramel, and butterscotch. And I'm not sure it's significantly better than the 86 proof expression. The proof is, yes, 14 points higher, but I don't think the taste is correspondingly better. RATING: Fine (just above good, the third rating down).

Brown sugar and oak on the nose. Chocolate on the palate with cinnamon and smoke on the finish.

I know this is supposed to be a staple bourbon. Nothing stands out to me about this bottle. Its not bad, its fine. I think it’d be ok for a mixer. Probably not gonna buy this again unless my tastes change.

Quite spicy with 100 proof heat. Big vanilla notes and dry finish.

Full, nice spice. Very smooth. Soft up front. Subtle banana.

Smooth start with a toasty smoky finish. Hint of molasses. Paydirt’s signature old forester.

Overall: This bottle is an enigma for me. I love it when I pour a glass and bananas come through with brown sugar and spices to make a tropical bourbon that didnt forget where its from. I dont like it when the citrus side just sort of blurs everything and the only distinct note is the spice... it certainly drinks above its proof, and is not a regretable buy at $25. I hope the higher end of the Old Forester line follows this profile, and simply make it more robust. Nose: Rum-esq ethanol. Green Bananas, and cooking sugar. Palate: Spicy punch right off the bat, it flashes quick but on further sips it is cinnamon and nutmeg. This opens the way for carmalized brown sugar, and a citrus brightness. The mouthfeel is oily, and awesome when ripe banana comes through. Finish: Medium. A clove spice lingers, and depending on the sip banana runts come through the nose.