Of all the Old Forester expressions I’ve tried, somehow I left this one out. What will their entry level bourbon yield in today’s round of sample mania? Nose comes off a bit thin, with standard bourbon caramel, brown sugar, vanilla. There’s also apples and that signature OF cherry note. Lovely and inoffensive. Little to no ethanol even straight from the bottle. It enters smooth and gentle on the palate. If you’re a fan of OF 1920, think of that as a wild tiger, and this version is a tame declawed house cat. The same DNA is there, but way toned down. At this proof, the brown sugar notes really come through. I had the same experience when adding water to the 1920. The return sips, however, are less lovely, and a yeasty astringency starts to emerge. Maybe it’s because OF tends to use a higher portion of malted barley, which also results in a really oily mouth coating. I’ll go middle of the road 2.5 here. It’s an inoffensive introduction to the brand, but the OF signature is like $2 more and packs WAY more flavor, and the whiskey row series isn’t that expensive either, with the 1920 being the most expensive at $60. If you’re looking into Old Forester for the first time, go for the OF Signature or the 1897. If you’re looking to up your OF game, go for 1910, 1920, or a store pick (which I’ve had VERY good luck with over the years). If you’re an collector looking to round out your OF collection, pick this one up. Cheers!