Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon - 1985

VITALS:

- $225

- 86 Proof

- NAS

- Kentucky

This bottle is certainly a first for me.  While I have reviewed one "dusty" previously (an amazing bottle of Baltimore Pure Rye from around 1951), that was based on a sample that my buddy was so generous to provide me.  This, however, is the first time that I've purchased a "dusty" bottle.  This one was bottled around 1985, given the embossed year on the bottom of the bottle.  Based on my very amateur research, that means it would have been bottled around 1985 or 1986.

Of course, I had to go to that dirty, filthy corner of the internet where such secondary market bottles can be procured.  And, quite frankly, it's not a place that I frequently visit. However, when I scrolled past a picture of these old bottles of Old Forester, it gave me pause.  I've had a similar pour, just a few years off, at Bardstown Bourbon Company when I visited there, and I found it to be quite enjoyable. So, despite the asking price (which, honestly, really wasn't all that bad), I pulled the trigger. It helped that the seller worked a block from my office, making the exchange incredibly easy.

Although this wasn't super aromatic, what was there on the nose was pretty delicious.  I got a great blend of sweet caramel and vanilla right away, but tucked just behind that was a light oakiness that I wasn't expecting. I don't know what the typical age of the bourbon in these bottlings is, but I couldn't imagine they're too old. So, I was surprised to get that oak note. On later pours, I got a great nougat note as well.

The flavor went in a slightly different, but delicious direction. Right up front the most prominent note was a rich dark chocolate note--slightly sweet, a touch of bitter to balance it, and an almost creamy richness to it.  There was also a sweet ribbon of caramel in there as well, adding a bit more sweetness to counter that dark chocolate.

It had even more complexity, though, as after that initial sweet caramel and dark chocolate note came a great dark cherry note, perhaps like a maraschino cherry.  All together, it really gave of this great cordial note, with dark chocolate, sweetness added from the caramel, a rich dark cherry note, and, of course, a bit of booze to go along.

The finish wasn't long, which is to be expected given the low proof. But, it was the caramel note that lingered the longest, providing a light, sweet coating on my tongue after each sip.

While this may not be the best whiskey I've ever head, it is certainly one of the best bottles I've ever purchased. It's a talking point, for sure.  But, I really loved pulling it out at the beginning of nights centered around drinks with friends, giving them something special and different, and something that isn't going to burn their tongue with alcohol.  Plus, it's an absolutely great tasting whiskey!!  For all of these reasons, this bottle gets an "A" from me.

Grade: A

Old Forester 1924 10-Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $140

- 100 Proof

- 10 Years

- Kentucky

I was very excited to hear about the new release coming from Old Forester. Not only was this new release going to carry an age statement, and a decent one at that at 10 years, but it was also going to feature a new mashbill from a distillery that I love. Add in that it's 100 proof, and it had pretty much everything I'd look for in a new release . . .

Except for the price.  This bottle carries a fairly steep price tag of $140, which in my mine is significantly more than it should be. I realize that limited releases and age stated bottles are carrying a premium these days, and I can certainly find comps in the same price range. But, at the same time, there are also comps that are significantly less (Weller 12 year and Henry McKenna, for example).  So this price tag was a hard pill to swallow, particularly since it features a new mashbill and carries with it a certain level of the unknown. 

The nose came off immediately as sweet. I got sweet caramel, like caramel apple caramel, along with a red hots type of cinnamon note.  There was an undercurrent of vanilla bean as well as a slight woody note, though not necessarily oak. It was lighter, perhaps more like a cedar, or even just a sawdust note.

The flavor follows the nose, at least in its sweetness.  This is definitely on the sweet side of the sweet vs. spicy spectrum. The caramel came across as less sugary, however, and more like that soft, buttery caramel that I love. 

It also came across at a bit fruiter than expected. There was something bright and berry-like to it, kind of like a raspberry, but yet not quite. Perhaps a mix of raspberry and currant. That was all complemented by a significant brown sugar note that seemed to develop more and more with each pour. There was also that undercurrent of vanilla bean that I got on the nose, which really worked well with the brown sugar and berry notes. 

That brown sugar that seemed to keep developing over time also seemed to dominate the finish. The fruity notes were nowhere to be found, and what little spice was here was gone almost as quickly as it came. I was instead left with a sweet, sugary finish that, quite frankly, needed something more.

Overall, this is a good bourbon, but I don't believe it's worth the price tag. I realize that some of the other options mentioned above are harder to find these days, but this isn't exactly a readily available bottle either. So, it'd probably be worth it just to keep hunting out those other, lower priced "comps."

Grade: B 

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon Kentucky Straight Bourbon - 2021

VITALS:

- $160

- 104 Proof

- 12 Years

- Kentucky

I've been lucky enough to try Birthday Bourbon pretty much every year for the past seven years or so, mostly because I've had friends that have been lucky enough to snag a bottle, and I was, in turn, lucky enough to have them share with me. A couple years I managed to try a pour at a bar. But, I've never actually purchased a bottle for myself.

I've had opportunities, but I've passed and let friends get one instead.  And I've found that some releases have been way better than others, so I never really felt like taking the chance. But, for 2021's release, it was offered to me and I finally bit the bullet, despite the relatively steep price. I certainly made this bottle last a while, but the other night I was itching for something from the top shelf, and, despite having nothing to really celebrate, I finally finished it off. 

I popped the cork and was immediately impressed by the nose on this bourbon. Right up front I got loads of cinnamon spice, along with rich and sweet chocolate and cherry. There was also a very distinct oaky note, but without any bitterness to detract from all the other great, mouth-watering aromas I was getting.

Much like the nose, the flavor was also very cinnamon forward. That seemed to be the predominant note, along with a healthy amount of dark chocolate, bringing with it a little bit of bitterness.  The oak note that I got off the nose was also present, but it, too, brought with it some tannic notes contributing to the bitterness.

The cinnamon note seemed to turn, at some point, into more of a cloves note.  It developed a cherry note as well that complemented the cloves well. That cherry note seemed to land somewhere between an artificial cherry note and a fresh cherry note. There was also a distinct cereal note as well, kind of like plain Cheerios. 

The viscosity was off the charts, and this had a very oily texture, which provided a nice, long finish. There I got even more of that Cheerios note, coupled with the cloves and cherry notes. That combination of flavors seemed to linger in my mouth and at the back of my throat forever between pours.

All in all, this was a good bourbon, but it just had those sharp tannic notes which, while not overpowering, nonetheless detracted from everything else going on. I also wasn't super high on the cherry note. Given the price point, I think I'll be a try-before-I-buy guy going forward on Birthday Bourbons.

Grade: B

Old Forester Binny's Private Selection Barrel Strength Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $70

- 130.4 Proof

- NAS

- Whse. I, Fl. 5

- Kentucky

This is possibly the longest time that I've had a single bottle of whiskey open. I always keep notes in my notes app on my phone, so I know which ones have been open the longest, because those are the notes that are entered first. This one has been at the top of my notes for a very long time. And really, the only reason is that I just didn't want it to be gone. I've been just sitting on those last few pours, but on a whim last night I decided this is what I wanted.

For a moment there, it seemed these Old Forester barrel strength single barrels were at least semi-available. I remember getting a couple from two different stores within days of each other.  And then that was it. I haven't come across any more of these since then, which perhaps is partly why I held onto this one for so long.

The nose was a rich and sweet dessert, very much like a pecan pie or even a turtle bar. It had notes of chocolate and pecan, as well as a sweet maple syrup note to it. It had a bit of a pastry note as well as some rich caramel. I even got some root beer notes off it at times.

As to flavor, my first note was that it was "warm and inviting."  I no longer know what I meant by that when I typed that note, but this is a very delicious and warming bourbon that packs a punch with heat, but not overly so. 

The pecan pie that I got on the nose very much carried through on the palate. It had that nuttiness to it, the rich caramel-like flavor of the goo in the middle of the pie, and even a bit of sweet pie crust to it. Pecan pie is one of my favorite desserts, and for that reason alone I absolutely loved this whiskey. There was also this consistent chocolate note, somewhere between dark chocolate and milk chocolate, that seemed to underscore everything else, almost as a base layer, adding just a touch more richness and sweetness to everything.

On the finish, aside from that warm pecan pie note, I also got a sort of a cooked cherry flavor, dark and rich, and spiced up a bit with some cinnamon, or even cloves, as well as a bit of black pepper.  I have no idea as to the age of this whiskey (I'm guessing 6-8 years), but it also had a bit of an oak note, which provided a sort of drying, tannic quality on the finish.

I've heard people refer to whiskey's as "dessert whiskeys" before, and while I don't tend to use that term, I think here it applies, mainly because it so much reminded me of one particular dessert. I couldn't get past it, which was just fine with me, because I loved every sip.

Grade: A

Old Forester 150th Anniversary Batch Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Batch 01/03

VITALS:

- $170

- 125.6 Proof

- NAS

- Batch 01/03

- Kentucky

This is one of my favorite purchases I can recall.  When these came out, I honestly knew very little about them. I didn't read any of the press releases, and I really hadn't paid any attention to reviews. One day, however, they hit my store and my guy gave me a call and asked if I wanted one. I honestly didn't know if I did or not, and I certainly second-guessed the price given the lack of any age statement.

But, at that point I started doing my homework. I learned that there were three different batches of the 150th anniversary, each blended from a batch of about 50 barrels and each batch being blended to its own, unique profile. This particular batch, Batch 01/03 was blended to achieve more of a rich, spicy, dark fruit-forward profile, which sounded absolutely incredible. So, I was sold, and I called him back to hold my spot for one.  After I purchased my bottle, I invited him to my office after work, where he and I were both completely wowed by this bottle!

The nose absolutely hit that as-described profile. I immediately got notes of chocolate and walnut. There was also a dark cherry note on the nose, almost like a Luxardo cherry. I also got a decent amount of rich oak, but without any of those bitter tannic notes.

The flavor was a rich and decadent mix of dark fruits, including dark cherry and blackberry, which all seemed to commingle with a rich (yes, I'm using that word a lot here) dark chocolate note. It tasted like a dessert you might order at a very fancy and very expensive restaurant.

Despite its proof, the heat on this bourbon was very minimal, yet it absolutely maintained a nice, thick viscosity.  Accordingly, what heat that was there was well-balanced by a rich, molasses like sweetness. That sweet and dark note paired with the constant dark fruit notes only further led to that super expensive dessert experience.

The finish provided a bit of a peppery spice to go along with the dark cherry, and thanks to the high proof, those two notes, which went great together, also stuck around for a really long time. In fact, it felt as though I had just eaten a bourbon-soaked cherry and that flavor just lingered. It was kind of like eating the Luxardo cherry after finishing an Old Fashioned, only more bourbon-soaked.

This is one of the best bottles I've enjoyed in a long time. For a while I was saving the last few pours, and then I decided that I couldn't bear it any more, and family movie night became as good an excuse as any to polish this off. And I'm so glad I did, because this was an absolutely amazing bourbon.

Grade: A+

Old Forester Barrel Strength Single Barrel Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $90

- 128.2 Proof

- NAS

- Whse. G, Fl. 3

- Kentucky

One thing that I've loved about the various barrel strength Old Forester bourbons that I've been lucky enough to come across is that they are a bolder and better version of Old Forester 100 proof for the most part, of course with variations from barrel to barrel. Certainly you pay a bit more, and they're not easy to find, but they deliver what you want out of such a product.

It wasn't that long ago that Old Forester released it's standard expression rye whiskey. That is a very nicely priced, and very delicious rye. However, I found it to be on the softer and the sweeter end of the rye whiskey spectrum. So when I found out about the release of the single barrel rye bottled at barrel strength, I wasn't sure exactly what I'd be getting, whether it'd just be a bolder and better version of their standard rye, or something very different. Well, I found it to be very different, though very good as well!

The nose was quite pungent, bull of rich and spicy cinnamon as well as a bold cherry note, like Maraschino cherries. There was a pastry note as well that leaned toward a cherry Danish aroma. I also got a little bit of anise or black licorice that added that sort of tangy quality you get from anise.  It also had some black pepper spice to it as well.  

The flavor was bold and punch, and it reminded me nothing of the standard Old Forester rye. This was a super cherry-forward rye. In fact, I got more cherry on this than I can ever recall getting from any other whiskey--rye, bourbon or otherwise. As the kids would say, this was a "cherry bomb." It wasn't that fake candy cherry, but it also wasn't that fresh-picked cherry note. It was more of a Luxardo cherry, dark and rich and almost syrupy.

I also got a light licorice note, much like I noticed on the nose. The cinnamon was there as well, along with a sweet caramel note. At times I noticed a sort of base layer of vanilla, but that note seemed to get crowded out fairly quickly.

On the finish, what I noticed most was the lack of alcohol burn. This rye came in at a pretty healthy proof, but it was far from a burner. Of course the pervasive cherry note was prominent on the finish as well, but that seemed to pair with a black pepper note and that caramel note to really leave a rich, slightly sweet and spicy finish.

This was one of the bolder and more punchy whiskeys I've had in a while, and what stood out the most was that strong cherry note. I have no idea why there was so much cherry influence here, but it was unmistakable.  I do wish it had a bit more going on, that other flavors were allowed some room inside as well. But, what was there was delicious and bold and, again, nothing like the standard Old Forester rye.

Grade: A-

Old Forester Gold Eagle Wine & Spirits Single Barrel Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $85

- 125.3 Proof

- 6.5 years

- Kentucky

Certain liquor stores in the Chicagoland area not named Binny's have managed to make a name for themselves as far as having good whiskey selections and getting good store picks. Antioch Liquors is one of those stores that's on my short list of places that I need to check out. But, it's way up north from me and not really on my way to much of anything, so unless I'm making a separate trip, I have no reason to head that way. And so it remains on my short list.

However, I saw a Facebook post a while back that they got these Old Forester single barrel picks in. Luckily for me, I have a buddy who lives in the area and was kind enough to run over there, pretty much at the drop of a dime, just to grab one of these bottles for me.  What's funny is he was told the owner had to put some bottles in back because a bunch of people from Wisconsin came looking for them. This, apparently, was one of those bottled tucked in back.

The nose on this one was a bit corn forward and sweet. It had a bit of a corn syrup note to it. It also has something rich and almost tangy, like amaretto with a light cinnamon note. It also had a sort of sawdust note and even a slight yeasty smell to it. It reminded me of a cinnamon pastry, perhaps like a cinnamon roll but without the icing.

I realize as I typed that out that it isn't the greatest sounding nose. That's fair. But, it's the flavor that really matters, and here, the flavor was pretty spot on.  I got this bright, almost sour cherry note. It was that natural cherry as opposed to the fake cherry note that I get sometimes and really don't enjoy.

That sour cherry note was balanced out by a brown sugar sweetness. It also had a cinnamon note that reminded me of cloves, but sweeter. There was also a light char note to this bourbon, which only further supported that cloves note with that added char/smoky quality.

The finish was almost all amaretto. I was wondering where that was from the nose, and on the finish it made its appearance. It was rich and spicy, with a sweet tanginess that I absolutely loved. It even had that sort of almond extract flavor to it, which is a flavor I happen to love, though I know is not for everyone.

This was a very complex, interesting and tasty bourbon. The sawdust on the nose and sour cherry up front were certainly . . . different. But, they weren't bad by any means and added a layer of complexity and made for an interesting pour. I really enjoyed this, and I may need to send my mule-buddy for more of their picks!

Grade: B+

Old Forester Single Barrel Niche Private Select "Stallion pt 12" Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $40

- 90 Proof

- NAS

- Kentucky

I've previously touted the barrel-picking abilities of Vinny, the owner of Niche Restaurant in Geneva, Illinois. I've had many a private pick at the restaurant, and with only one exception, they've all been exceptional. A couple months ago, towards the start of the pandemic, Niche began selling liquor to go, and I was able to get my hands on a few of their picks, including the Buffalo Trace I reviewed back in March, which was delicious.

Apparently the pandemic didn't slow down the distribution of their barrel picks, as they've since gotten in a couple different new picks, including this Old Forester pick.  I'm not sure what the "Stallion pt 12" is in reference to, though my Google skills tell me it's probably a reference in some way to a song by Ween, a band I only know for their song "Push th' Little Daisies" which was a featured video in Beavis and Butthead. Regardless, whether I understood the reference or not, I made sure to get my hands on one of these bottles as soon as Niche got them in.

The nose on the first pour was really an indicator of what I was going to get throughout this bottle. On that first pour I was immediately hit with a dark cherry note, somewhat sweet but also somewhat tart. That was balanced out by notes of amaretto and black licorice (which I hate in large doses -- it didn't get to that point here). It was also full of spice, like cloves and even allspice. In a way it reminded me a bit of a spiced fruitcake, which I know might sound like a turn off to some people, but this was rich and spicy and delicious smelling.

As to flavor, I got many of those same notes. I got a bit of an anise note right up front that hit the sides of my tongue. I also got a lot of sweet cinnamon spice. It also had that fruit-forward note, however, in this case it was more of a dark plum rather than cherry, and at times even came across like raisin.  It did carry some sweetness, with a bit of a molasses note, but that seemed to be well-balanced by the light oak note that I got as well.

Despite its proof, this had a nice oily texture that still managed to coat the mouth with each sip and allow the finish to linger for quite a while--and the finish was great! This is where the cherry from the nose appeared, accompanied by rich dark chocolate as well as a healthy dose of almond or amaretto. At times I even got a bit of a peanut butter note. It was absolutely rich and delicious.

Those chocolate-cherry-almond notes seemed to get stronger as I made my way to the bottom of the bottle to the point that they really took over the flavor, which was quite alright by me. This whiskey had a lot going on, but all of the flavors seemed to be borderline sweet flavors, making this more of a rich, more decadent dessert-like whiskey, rather than a sugary sweet whiskey. Everything going on in this bottle worked really well, and quite frankly I appreciated the dryness to it. It seemed to focus the flavors a bit more. 

Once again, Niche has provided an outstanding private pick, and I'm just going to be keeping my eye out for every new pick that hits their restaurant.

Grade: A

Old Forester 1910 Old Fine Whisky Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $50
- 93 Proof
- NAS
- Kentucky

This review is a perfect example of why nobody should put much stock into reviews. After all, they are completely subjected and dependent upon the reviewer's subjective tastes. What I like you may hate, and vice versa. And so it goes with Old Forester 1910.

I loved Old Forester 1920. It was complex, flavorful and a great buy for the price. And when 1910 was released, the response was pretty much equal to that of 1920. People absolutely love this stuff across the board. Since I opened my bottle, I've kept my eye out for any naysayers or dissenters, and to date I haven't seen one in the group.

So now I find myself in the minority here (which is why you should take my review with a grain of salt and try this for yourself), because I really disliked this bourbon. In fact, in my mind it shouldn't even be called bourbon, because to me it just didn't taste like bourbon, but rather some liqueur with a bit of bourbon flavor to it.

To be fair, the nose on this is great. It's full of sweet brown sugar and has a buttery aroma to it that reminded me of french toast. I even got a little bit of peanut on the nose as well as a light maltiness to balance the sweet and buttery flavors. The nose was unique and really good.

Unfortunately, what followed was a bit of a sloppy mess. On my initial sips I got some unsweetened cinnamon and some burnt orange and bitter orange pith flavors. I also got a decent amount of almond.  From time to time a bright note of dried apricot came through. So far so good.

But then the off-putting flavors came through, and they did so in a big way, smacking my mouth with offensive flavors. First it was a weird farmhouse kind of funk. I don't know how best to describe it other than that it was vegetal in quality, almost like hay and green pepper.

And then I got the fake cherry flavor that absolutely put me off. I'm good with cherry notes typically, but the fake cherry is just awful, reminding me of cough syrup. I had hopes that this note would eventually go away, but it never did, and it offended my tongue from the first pour to the last.

I also got a lot of black licorice, and I mean a LOT. I like a good anise note in my whiskey from time to time, but this was simply too much, and it seemed to get progressively worse the more I drank. By the final pours from the bottle, it was as though someone had actually taken Jagermeister or Herbsaint and added it directly to the bottle. As I took notes one evening while trying to enjoy a pour of this, I actually wrote down, "Blech!"

I wanted to enjoy this bottle, I really did. It has great viscosity, is super rich and is full of flavor. For me, however, it's full of the wrong flavors to the point that fit was nearly undrinkable. I don't get it. It's rare that I diverge so greatly from the masses, who have universally loved this product. In fact, my father-in-law, who is relatively new to bourbon, declared this the best bourbon he's ever tasted.  I, however, will never let it touch my tongue again. And so, with that being said, reviews are stupid, please disregard everything you just read and try it for yourself.

Grade: C-

Cooper's Craft Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $23

- 82.2 Proof

- NAS

- Kentucky

This bottle is an interesting one to me, and one that I made it a point to seek out the last time I was in Kentucky. Cooper's Craft is a Brown-Forman release that is available only in Kentucky. That limited distribution itself was enough to make me want it, despite the mixed reviews I had seen online.

Cooper's Craft is a tribute to the coopers that make the barrels for Brown-Forman. Apparently, and I didn't know this until Cooper's Craft was initially released, Brown-Forman is the only major distillery with its own cooperage. So, to honor its coopers and the work they do and did, Brown-Forman released this whiskey, using a "proprietary toasting process" and "Beech and Birch Charcoal-filter finishing" as a nod to their craft.

This bottle was one of a handful of Kentucky-only releases that I muled back from my last trip and was one of the offerings in my "Kentucky only" whiskey tasting for my unofficial whiskey club. There it received middle-of-the-road reviews, but overall it was deemed to be inoffensive and drinkable. For $30, that's a good place to start. I then didn't revisit this whiskey for quite some time, until finally I decided I needed to go back to it for a fresh tasting.

The nose was subtle and light, forcing me to work a bit to pick up flavors. What I was able to get off of it was pretty good, however. Right away I got some spicy cinnamon and char notes (is burnt cinnamon a thing?), with a hint of sweet butterscotch. All of this seemed to be surrounded by a healthy dose of brown sugar to lend a full sweetness to the nose.

The first thing I noticed on my first sip was the watery texture. This does not immediately come across as a premium brand, but rather a mid-shelfer, readily-available-at-any-bar type bourbon. It reminded me a lot of Jim Beam white label in this respect.

Probably due at least in part to the watery texture, and not unlike White Label, there was nothing bold or complex about this bourbon's flavor. The predominant note is an unsweetened vanilla, and at times I would get a pleasant milk chocolate note.

Towards the back end I got some black pepper to spice up the finish, which I appreciated. In between, however, was this lingering flat cola note, like taking a sip out of a can of Coke that you forgot was the one you opened 6 hours earlier. Along with that flat cola note was a weird cardboard flavor that, while not offensive, wasn't necessarily enjoyable either. Aside from that, from time to time I would pick up flavors that I did enjoy, including burnt orange notes that seemed to go well with the char flavors. Those provided a nice amount of bitterness to go with the sweetness of the bourbon.

Overall, this was . . . interesting? But, I don’t consider myself a fan. While it wasn't bad, it didn't do enough for me to label it as "good" either. It was mostly just a forgettable bourbon.

Grade: C

Old Forester Kentucky Straight Rye Whisky

VITALS:
- $23
- 100 Proof
- NAS
- Kentucky

There seems to have been quite a bit of fanfare over this particular release from Brown-Forman. While Old Forester has had its Distillery Row series providing new bourbon releases, for the first time, Old Forester has put out a rye. Not only did they release a new product, but they released it at an incredibly affordable price, which made it very easy for a lot of people to justify taking a chance on it.

The Old Forester Rye is a higher barley mashbill than most ryes (65% rye, 20% malted barley and 15% corn). This has proven to be successful with other releases, Kentucky Owl, for example. It tends to be a slightly less spice, smoother and sweeter rye than the high rye counterparts. Perhaps that was part of the draw as well. Of course, Fred Minnick's feature in Forbes dubbing this "America's Best Value Whiskey" certainly sent a lot of people to the store to see what the hype was about. I was just excited to have a new product from one of of the big boys at an incredibly affordable price--and a rye at that!

The nose was interesting, and not quite what I was expecting in a rye. Right up front I got this burnt cherry smell (a bit weird, I know), along with a healthy dose of cinnamon and a light woody note. However, I also got a lot of bright orange, like orange blossom.  It reminded me of the Epcot ride that simulates a plane flying over the orange grove and you can smell the oranges in the air. I also got a light tobacco leaf note (likely from the barley), and later I picked up notes of pine and anise. Overall, the nose was bright and rich all at the same time.

As for flavor, the predominant flavors were vanilla and mint. In that way it comes across as very mellow, with light spice, and it certainly has a cooling note to it.  At times I also got a peppery spice at the tip of my tongue as the whiskey hit my mouth.

Mid-way through I started to get orange and brown sugar notes. Those seemed to couple with a dark chocolate bitterness, and it all worked really well together. The brown sugar seemed to temper the bitterness, while the orange added a nice splash of flavor that made this rye a bit unique. It was definitely sweet, but not without its spiciness.

This rye was a bit watery in texture, but it still carried a big punch of flavor. While it didn't last long on the finish, it was nonetheless easy to dive right back in for that next sip. As I finished my bottle, I also started to get some notes of black tea, and the light spiciness from earlier seemed to carry forward a bit more, turning into a sweet cinnamon.

By the time I finished the last sip, I was thinking I needed to grab a back-up. Luckily, though, this rye is supposed to be here for a while, and I hope that's the case. This was an excellent pour at an excellent price. Although it's been hyped, at least it's also very accessible (both in supply and in price).

Grade: B+

Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $21.00
- 86 Proof
- NAS

There are only a handful of entry-level bourbons on the shelves that I haven't yet had an opportunity to review, but Old Forester was one that, for whatever reason, I just never got around to. At just over $20 for the bottle, though, it was a no-brainer to at least give it a go.

The nose, aside from the traditional bourbon notes, had a distinct burnt sugar mixed with alcohol smell to it. It's an 86 Proof bourbon, so I was caught a bit off-guard by the strong presence of the alcohol.

My first impression upon taking my first sip was that this is a watery bourbon, and, despite that it came across as a young bourbon, also seemed woody, having that dryness that older bourbons tend to have.  It also came across as a brown sugar heavy bourbon, with undertones of cherry, a combination that reminded me a bit of Woodford Reserve.

A couple pours in I started to take note of additional flavors. Most noticeably, the burnt sugar flavor I noticed on the nose finally made an appearance, mixing well with the brown sugar to create a sweet but lightly charred flavor that was quite enjoyable. 

There was also a smokey, herbal quality to it that I couldn't quite place my tongue on. It had a kind of a cigar tobacco flavor, sharp and earthy. However, this flavor did not seem to stick around very long, being almost fleeting and difficult to place.

In the end, while I found the different flavors that seemed to come forward in this bourbon interesting, particularly with respect to the contrast between the sugary sweet flavors and the smokey, herbal flavors, I didn't find them particularly enjoyable. The flavors didn't complement each other very well. Among the entry-level bourbons, I found this one to be just average, hence the grade.

Grade: C