Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon

I know we often use Whisky Advocate as a whipping boy here on this site. They do a Top 20. We disagree with their picks, their ratings. We talk about it being a glossy lifestyle magazine, which it is. But I’ve a confession: I subscribe. I like having something to look forward to getting quarterly in the mail. I like the pictures of distilleries and bottles of whisky. I like the page where they have 3 editors picks, 3 budget whiskies, 3 collectibles. I like reading the reviews even if I feel the scores are overblown, inaccurate. Actually, I’ll admit, I peruse it more than I read it, but I think it’s like $25 dollars a year, and I don’t mind paying that for what it is. I like whisky. They’re a magazine that does feature articles on whisky and have reviews in the back. They do a Top 20 and their top 20 is always whiskies that were either new that year or revamped in some way. Their Top 20 is a conversation stimulator. Do you agree? Do you disagree? And they pay attention to price to ensure that their ratings take into account availability and affordability. In short, Whisky Advocate to me is like the pop band you’re supposed to pretend to dislike if you’re one of the cool kids. No, no, no. I much prefer indie rock. But secretly, you don’t mind when they play it at a club, it’s got a grove, you can dance to it, might be disposable, but goddamn, you enjoy it. Recently, Whisky Advocate did this feature where they asked master distillers at various distilleries what whiskies they constantly have on stock in their own collections, what do they frequently drink when they come home from a hard day. And the results varied, but I believe the most common choice of what they keep in the rotation was Old Forester 100 bourbon. Surprised? This wasn’t just those crafting bourbons. These were scotch makers, Irish master distillers. And they always keep on hand Old Forester 100 bourbon. Now I have to tell you, I found this compelling. I went to Breaking Bourbon where they have a 2019 review that declares this a much improved product over the “old version” which I never had, and says that there isn’t a whole lot that separates this $29 bourbon from OF’s whisky row specialty bourbons which are double the price (and if the 1920 is any indication, a deal at that, though I haven’t had the BiB). I adore Old Forester 100 Rye, and OF 86 was my go-to in the late-aughts (though it didn’t hold up to retasting last year). So, I found the fact that master distillers picked this frequent quite a compelling reason to pick it up. I mean, I didn’t rush out to get it. Used to be it wasn’t even available in my State. But when it got here, after a few months, I bought a bottle and cracked it. And I can see what those distillers are seeing in it. It’s not going to rock your world, but for $29 dollars, the flavor profile is solid. The nose, palate and finish are solid. You don’t feel bad mixing it, but you can drink it straight. So it’s versatile. Will I stock up on it to make sure that when prices start to skyrocket I still have plenty on hand? No. I’d rather do that with the Rye. Because frankly, I prefer ryes to bourbons generally and I think OF’s 100 Rye is worlds better than OF’s 100 Bourbon, but this is damn decent. And you won’t go wrong picking up a bottle of this. As bourbons go, this is less corn, oak and vanilla and more cherry, caramel, berry with a hint of milk chocolate. If I’m being honest, and you love Eagle Rare but can’t find it or it’s overpriced in your neck of the woods, pick this up and I’m not sure in a blind taste test if you’ll notice the difference. That’s why it’s hilarious to me that Eagle Rare has a rating on this site of over 4 while OF 100 has a rating of 3.5 making me think this is either criminally underrated by those of you drinking it, or it had plenty of reviews come in with the pre-2019 upgrade that Breaking Bourbon was talking about. I scroll through reviews here before I write my own and saw one person who said they see no difference between the 86 and the 100, and I think you have to be crazy to say that. I respect we all have different palates, but the 86 is watered down and tepid, somewhat flavorless while this one is much stronger in flavor, mind you the finish isn’t long here, it doesn’t linger, but the flavors on the palate are good enough that for $29, you wasn’t going to be expecting that. I don’t know a whole lot of sub-$30 whiskies that have a long complex finish honestly. So in the end, I do think the aggregate score here for this is accurate at 3.5 (Eagle Rare is likely the most overrated whisky I’ve ever tasted so the 4.0 score strikes me more as hype, expectation and the whisky placebo affect than anything). But that 3.5 needs to take into account that this is just solid through and through. There’s a reason seasoned makers of whisky keep this one on hand. It has to do with the intersection of price and quality and versatility. That’s what you’re getting here.

I got a fifth of this whisky for $24.99 at Kelly Liquors in the Mountain Run Shopping Center in Albuquerque. The mash bill is 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% barley. There's no age statement, and it's 100 proof. In the glass the color is new copper. NOSE: I came back to the nose several times, and got more notes each time. In the order in which I discerned them, I got corn, grass, honey, cinnamon, a spice which might have been paprika, honey, vanilla icing, milk chocolate, a little bit of smoke (hickory?), a very faint oakiness (I don't believe I've ever gotten oak on the nose before), and buttered roasting ears. MOUTHFEEL: Initially it was creamy, but on subsequent sips it seemed like the creaminess was slightly watered down. TASTE: Honey, candy orange slices, red pepper, oak, and lemon. I'm getting used to not getting as much on the tongue as I get on the nose, but this is a big difference. FINISH: Long, beginning with oak, then black pepper, walnuts, and some jalapeño in the throat. SUMMARY: I like the metal screw cap on this bottle. A cork doesn't improve the whisky, and a cap is easier to deal with. This is good bourbon. However, it lacks the notes I've come to expect as typical of bourbon - bananas, caramel, and butterscotch. And I'm not sure it's significantly better than the 86 proof expression. The proof is, yes, 14 points higher, but I don't think the taste is correspondingly better. RATING: Fine (just above good, the third rating down).

Color: Nice deep copper-amber Nose: Classic bourbon nose of oak and maple brown sugar. Didn't get the "banana" that one tends to expect from Brown-Forman juices. Palate: (Drank with an ice cube) Sweet right off the bat; Not very spicy at all; Medium mouth feel; Immediate chest hug on the first sip; Cherry cough syrup; Vanilla. As the ice melts, oak begins to come through more, as well as some slight bitterness... nothing too crazy, though. Finish: Medium length with a surprise burst of spearmint. Cool! (See what I did there?) Final thoughts.... This is an excellent pour for the price. I am a big fan of Old Forester and Brown-Forman, in general, and this did not disappoint. I can easily see this being in my regular rotation on my bottom shelf. Sidenote: I also had good things to say about the OF 86 Proof. That one was good in a different way than this. But if I had to choose between them, I'd give this 100 Proof a slight edge.

Tasting neat. Copper rose in the glass with strong coating legs. The nose is caramel, creme brulee, sweet and full of scorched sugar and vanilla. Very nice, with a little oak in the background. On the palate, sweet sugar and dark dried fruit, with sour cherry. Leather and tannic oak come on. Mouthfeel is thin, which is disappointing. Finish is that oak and cherry turning a little bitter, with some tingling mint, sweet grass and cinnamon, and a dry funky flavor that's pronounced, but doesn't last too long. An ice cube really accentuates the sweet creaminess that was there in the nose, and smooths the musty wood end notes. Easy drinking at 100 proof, with enough uumph to mix cocktails. Readily available and the price is right. Nice sipping once you get used to the finish. Easily a daily value bourbon.

NEAT NOSE - Typical bourbon notes on the nose. Brown Sugar, oak, and vanilla. PALATE - Thin mouthfeel. Very smooth and balanced with brown sugar and vanilla. FINISH - Medium length finish with oak being the most present on the finish with a very strong bananna note as well. Im actually surprised I couldn’t pick the bananna up on the nose with how strong it is on the finish. BUY? - Yes. Hard to regret at its price point. BUY AGAIN?? - For a daily sipper yes, but I should blind this with Wild Turkey 101 sometime and see which one I prefer..

Nose: When you get past the proof, sourdough bread along with grains and a hint of spearmint Palate: Vanilla and oak, baking spices, caramel Finish: Short-medium mostly spicy with a little tannic bitterness after a few sips A step up when compared to the classic 86 proof, a little more complexity and strength that makes this both a good budget sipper and a perfect base for a cocktail.