Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2016

As I stated in my review of Birthday 2015, I recently had a chance to do a tasting flight of '15-'16-'17, which made for an interesting comparison. Unfortunately for me, I didn't really care for any of the three. Apparently the Brown-Forman guys liked the way 2015 came out, because they specifically pulled 2016’s version from barrels near the windows that got extra sunlight. The scents that come out of this bourbon are amazing and unusual: there are intense chocolate-covered raisins, guava, Fruit Roll-ups, and earthy tobacco practically leaping from the glass. But this makes the letdown at the palate (a common theme in this flight) even more brutal and disappointing. There is too much oak again, some orchard fruits like underripe apples, and significant astringency. Some of those notes from the nose do pop up, but as distant background music, and I want them front and center in the worst possible way. The end doesn’t redeem this one, as it’s dry, astringent, and overly reliant on rye flavors. If I had to choose one, the 2016 Birthday Bourbon is the best of the three, but not by much, and mainly because of that amazing nose. I’m bemused by these whiskies because normally I don’t see myself as a fan of sweet flavors, but I’ve recently had some dry, dusty bourbons that are making me reconsider that self-assessment. These bourbons just need a touch of something sugary! I’m also bemused because I read some of the amazing reviews for these and am left thinking, are we even drinking the same whiskey?

Nose - Very pleasant oaky fruity vanilla, milk chocolate covered dark caramels, butterscotch, hint of juicy strawberries & orange zest with this occasional sweet mint. Taste - Dark oaky vanilla caramels, hint of orange zest, hint of sweetness like if you stored those strawberry candies and a few Werther's Original inside of an old nicely oiled leather bag. Finish - Gentle lingering cinnamon spice heat, lightly oaky & drying, fading hint of sweet mint & fresh strawberries. Score - 90/100 Final Thoughts - Love the nose on this one as it has a nice fruity, buttery, caramel, oaky, butterscotchy vibe. Being a fan of Elijah Craig 12, I love the oakiness that I get on both the nose through the finish (I guess spending 12 years in new oak barrels will do that to you). I think this is definitely best enjoyed neat as I think any water or ice might kill the already subtle notes I pulled from this. In a cocktail, I think this would be completely hidden as the flavors are there, but they're soft.

Very smooth on the palate and finishes with caramel, nut bread, vanilla. Delicious. If it were more full bodied this would check all the boxes, just a bit thin to me. My scale: 1 - I’m giving this drink away 2 - I’ll mix it, but doesn’t stand on its own 3 - Enjoyable, but I’m willing to try something new 4 - Very good, If it’s on the shelf or menu - I’m buying 5 - Greatness Achieved, this drink is worthy of collecting

MB: 72/18/10 corn, rye, malt. Aged 12 years. #4 barrel char. (Brown Forman) Aromas of mint (and something related), butterscotch, and wood. I can definitely taste the wood in this whiskey. Butterscotch and vanilla/caramel also are on the palette, with some bitterness in the aftertaste. Overall this tastes a bit thin to me, like all Old Foresters. That and the bitterness really kill the overall flavor and finish.

Nose- graham crackers, musty wood, vanilla, cherries, caramel Palate- graham crackers, milk chocolate covered raisins, cherry cola, banana bread, vanilla custard Finish- long sweet finish with oak and spice washing over at the very end Delicious... plain and simple. Love this bourbon. Very unique and sweet. I’ve yet to come across a birthday bourbon I don’t enjoy, and this 2016 is no exception

I refrigerate my bourbons, check out bourbon storage experiment on breakingbourbon.com. Initially (cold) I picked up a major medicinal note on the back end. After it warmed to room temp, OMG. Ever so sweet. Bubblegum sweetness on the nose with an oak/wood mid pallet followed by a nice back end burn. Very impressed with this one, however with the $99 price tag, I would use discretion.