angstrom
Old Forester 1897 Bottled In Bond
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed
February 13, 2022 (edited July 31, 2022)
4.0 stars - Excellent; two bottles
I am a bottled in bond man, myself.
This is a very good whisky. I may stand alone in preferring it over the OF 1920. It seems 1920 is universally praised and 1897 is often panned. Which seems a bit churlish. Having several glasses side-by-side there are only minor differences. The aroma is very similar, 1897 is more bright and chocolate banana, 1920 has more dusty oak. The taste is similar, 1897 matches the aroma and 1920 is more syrupy (brown sugar and tobacco). Old Forester seems to acknowledge this minor difference with only a 10% price premium on 1920.
I think American whiskey shines at 50% ABV. BIB: Rittenhouse, Henry McKenna 10 yr, New Riff, Old Fitzgerald and OF1897. Near BIB: WT101, Rowan’s Creek, and 4R SIB.
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(Part 2) Victory! After 300+ bottles I am finally ready to declare my favorite daily drinkers. Available, affordable, tailored to my palate, and delightful any day of the week. Batch variations are real. Everyone talks about “honey barrels” but there are also “honey batches.” Too many times I had a fantastic whiskey, only to buy a second bottle months later to be disappointed. For this list, I have enjoyed at least three bottles each with great results. I also consider if the first pour and last pour are equally enjoyable. Air and time should be neither the friend or enemy of the whiskies on this list.
@Cornmuse The 1910 is very good. Walks right up to the line of being too sweet and over-oaked…but never crosses it.
You're not alone. I also preferred the 1897 to the 1920. I'm hoping the 1910 is better than either.