Old Forester 1910 Old Fine Whisky

A friend gifted this bottle to me after he learned I particularly enjoy spicy bourbons. I’m intrigued to contemplate it carefully and see if I concur regarding this one. It’s been open about a year but is still mostly full. Pours medium amber approaching copper, darker than expected for this proof and approximate age. Average legs ebb slowly after rotating to coat the sides of the Glencairn glass. Neat of course. Aroma begins as a wall of rich caramel-coated mahogany and sweet oak, layered with more nuanced notes like orange peel or even marmalade, and hints of spiciness, like clove and allspice. Subtly, underneath it all, an almost yeasty, slightly salty aroma develops, like unbaked bread dough. After sitting much longer in the glass, sweet almond, a la marzipan, begins to dominate. There’s a lot here. A rich and decadent nose is typical for any good representation that’s double-oaked, and this certainly fits the bill. After several sips, a certain waxiness develops, as if the initial nose has been sealed up. First sip is pleasant and bright, and goes down fairly easily at this restrained proof point, with some warming baking-spiciness around the edges of the dominant maple-esque sweetness. Subsequent sips are moderately rich and flavorful for the proof, with the standard caramel/vanilla duo coming through more, in the form of a light vanilla cream with thick caramel drizzle. These also carry secondary flavors of both sweet and dry tannic oak, as well as subtle hints of hot cinnamon. A faint herbal quality that’s difficult to pinpoint eventually begins to develop. The evolution of each sip, and of the overall dram, is enjoyable, if perhaps a bit simpler than the nose. The finish starts with a quick pop of baking chocolate, but then leans mostly into dry tannic oak that lasts moderately long. This earthiness really hangs on. But it also draws me back in for another sip. All that said, the longer I sit with this, the duller and less impressive the nose and palate have grown. Perhaps the nose is the pinnacle of a good double-oaked bourbon, to the point of creating an expectation the palate can’t possibly live up to. Or perhaps OF 1910 is just better enjoyed in small quantities and sipped slowly, the better to take in the whole olfactory experience. Whatever the reason, I did enjoy it more at the beginning than through the end of the dram. Overall though, this is a tasty and somewhat unique expression, especially given the high price point of any double-oaked bottling readily available, or scarcity otherwise. But maybe it’s just not a great value for the money in a fair fight, be that compared against other bourbons in the vicinity of 93 proof, or other bottles priced $50-$60. The nose carries the dram though and, for me, this is 4/5.

This is my third entry in the Old Forester bourbon collection. It’s been pretty solid so far. The Original Batch was solid, and the Prohibition was an all-timer. The bottle says this is based on Owsley Brown’s own handcrafted batch. I’ll take their word for that and hope it was worth preserving. Nose: Brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Toasted almond, macadamia, and pecan. Raisin and dried apricot. Nougat, and lots of it. Gala apple. Boiler sweet potato. Flintstone vitamins. Butterscotch. A touch of banana. Orange citrus. Cocoa and pipe smoke. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Palate: Peach tea Snapple. Caramel, vanilla, toffee, and nougat. Toasted almond, macadamia, chestnut, and pecan. Flinstone vitamin. Orange citrus and banana. Sawdust. Dried apricot and golden raisin. Cocoa butter. High viscosity here. Butterscotch, honey, and marshmallow. Cocoa and light pipe smoke. Cinnamon, white and black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. A nice OF barrel encompassing the experience from front to end. Finish: Ginger. Dried apricot and golden raisin. Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, and butterscotch. Flinstone vitamins. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Heaps of barrel char and smoke. Medium length. Another excellent entry. Old Forester really knows what they’re doing with these. The basic profile is roughly the same. The Prohibition remains the leader of the pack, and I’ve got this rated comparable to the Original Batch. I’ll give this the slight edge. At $57, this was well-worth the price of entry. It’s easily accessible in terms of price and availability, and has a profile that can be enjoyed by veteran and rookie bourbon drinkers alike. What’s not to like? Well done, Owsley Brown. 4/5.

Tasting neat. Color is bronze brown and good coating legs in the glass. Nose is caramel, vanilla, and oak, burnt sugar sweet with a little grassy spice in the way back. On the palate, brown sugar, vanilla, charred oak, and dark fruit. Little ethanol bloom and an oily feel, but overall a rather thin mouthfeel. In the finish, a little spice shows up, emphasis on the little. More sugary sweetness without much tannic bite, char, or rye spice depth. Short clean finish. An ice cube actually improves this bourbon by tamping down that thin sweetness and letting the oak and spice notes rise up more clearly. It's a one trick pony. The caramel and oak nose telegraphs the whole taste. It's not the oak bomb some of the other reviewers (and the marketing blurb) describe, especially compared to its "younger" brother, the 100 proof OF 1920 Prohibition. That's a charred oak bomb, and a much better, deeper flavored bourbon overall. As far as double oaked bourbons go, this 1910 is pretty tame. And yet... the 1910 is also not as mediocre and "woody" as the Distiller reviewer judges it (what was he drinking?). That's clear from the much higher rating (4+) app users give it compared to his mis-judged score of 82. If the crowd is right about that, they are also right that this 93 proof bourbon is over-priced relative to other quality (and higher proof) double oaked bourbons, including the 1920 Prohibition. 1910 is a relatively expensive one trick pony. I'm going to keep sipping and thinking about this bottle, see how it grows on me. And... it didn't grow on me much. Sweet goodness but that's about it. Love this with an icecube. It's an easy midweek sip.

This is, of course, a straight bourbon whisky. It has no age statement, which means that, as a straight whisky, it's at least four years old. The mash bill is 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% barley. It's 93 proof, a fifth cost me $58.99 at Kelly Liquors. It's a bronze color in the glass. 𝗡𝗢𝗦𝗘: The first, and dominant, note is a dense caramel - I could sit and sniff it forever. Next in strength is a vanilla cream note - or perhaps marshmallow cream; I dithered somewhat, and settled on vanilla, but I won't swear to it. Underneath all that there's a light floral note, and a tinge of smoke and honey. 𝗠𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟: Creamy but a little thin. 𝗧𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘: Smoky honey, with a hint of cinnamon and brown sugar. 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛: Cinnamon, which turns into a growing chocolate that lingers - medium long. 𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬: This whisky is all right, but it's certainly not worth $59. It's not as good as the 100 proof, it's only 93 proof - seven points lower than the 100, and it costs almost twice as much. I won't buy this bottle again. 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: As y'all know by now, I have devised a rating scale that draws on my hick vocabulary and thinking. On that scale, in which the numbers are higher the better a whisky is, this comes in at 4 - Okay. That's the same as 2.5 stars, 50/100, or 5/10.

I Tend to be a fan of old forester products so I was very excited when I found a whisky row sample kit over Christmas That had 1910, 1920, and 1897 in it. This evening I'm digging into the 1910 as my kids roblox conversations bounce around me so we'll see how this goes. Before my nose enters the glass, aromas of banana loaf with walnuts greet me. Vanilla, oak, and maple syrup follow shortly after. Something about bourbon is so comforting. Palate is a bit spicy on the initial sip but it's my first of the day so I'll chalk it up to that. Deep, rich, vanilla almost hinting at marshmallow hit me as well as the oak. That second barreling is shining through. Plenty of baking spices and a hint of cherry I usually get on old forester products are present as well. Finish is medium in length carrying on with the baking spices and deep vanilla notes. A very good pour.

I tried this months ago and remember not loving it but never did a review but decided to revisit and see if my opinion has changed on it. On the nose i get big hits of dark cherry which is pleasantly surprising given this is only 93 proof. Worth noting that the color on this pour is amazing, deep red amber and looks like something that’s been sitting in a barrel for 12+ years. Taste-wise the dark cherry follows through as well as deep notes of chocolate and a sweet hint of oak throughout. It really drinks like a dessert bourbon in my opinion, full of depth and deep fruity notes which make for a clean finish. I enjoyed this much more than I remember and for a 93 proofer this is full of flavor.