Old Forester Single Barrel Bourbon 90 Proof

Paradise Liquor SiB 90 proof. Warehouse O, floor 1. The color is a nice deep amber, making me wonder how much age this barrel had - if only Old Forester released age stated products besides their Birthday Bourbons I might be able to ball park it. Nose: A lot of sweet caramel and brown sugar. It really reminds me a lot of Woodford Double Oak - which makes sense as both are Brown-Forman products. Same with the banana notes that come through on the fruitier side of the sweet nose - very similar to Jack Daniels, another Brown Forman product. The palate delivers more sweet - a big hit of juicy fruit and brown sugar. For 90 proof, this has a surprisingly rich mouthfeel. The finish presents a large hit of that exact same Woodford DO woody/caramel sweetness, with the slightest hint of cream cheese frosting and a tinge of heat - not sure if ethanol or the 18% of rye in the mashbill finally adding something. The wood-y flavors fade with a tinge of cinnamon spice that plays really well with the extremely sweet flavor subsiding at the same time. I don't remember paying $45 for this, but that's what the internet says I probably paid for it. That price is what keeps this from being a true home-run. At $45, a number of better offerings, even from Brown-Forman, such as Jack Single barrel 94 proof and Woodford Double Oaked, as well as Old Forester 1897 (BiB). And that's not even mentioning other brands $45 products. Would I buy this again (though now bottled at 100 proof)? Meh, I probably would. Single barrel offerings are fun, but this isn't widely available like Jack SiB 94 proof - and given the profile similarities, I wouldn't bother hunting for a OF 100 proof SiB, unless it's from a local source known for doing killer picks. But, overall, I'm still happy with this bottle and glad I have it. Middle of the road, very sweet, good bourbon.

You see: that’s the thing about store picks. Sometimes one store picks an awesome barrel while other stores pick terrible ones. Sometimes one store you trust picks a damn good barrel from Buffalo Trace (perhaps the best new whiskey I tried in 2020), and then immediately after picks an Old Forrester barrel that is the worst OF juice you’ve ever had. This is from floor 1, warehouse L. The nose smells older than this whiskey could possibly be. There’s a musty, leathery smell that reminds me of flavors in Rhetoric. There’s lemon, caramel, maple syrup, vanilla. Bourbon standard, inoffensive. Body hits with that leather, and a bitterness that I find extremely unpleasant. It’s just pure bitterness for bitterness’s sake. I can’t tie it to a specific flavor. There’s vanilla and butterscotch too, but that bitterness takes the main profile. Finish presents chocolate, mild pepper, and maple syrup. I don’t hate the finish, although I very much hate the journey you have to take to get to it. I generally like Old Forrester juice. I generally appreciate store picks. This is such a bizarre thing for a store to pick out of what I know of the OF portfolio, that I’m marginally convinced that there’s a genetic component in play here. Perhaps someone else’s tongue doesn’t get Spartan-kicked by that bitterness on the body. There are flavors involved, both on the nose and on the finish, that I really like in my bourbons. If I could just skip the body on this one, I think I’d have something that I decently like. But as it is, I would never buy another one of this pick. Ever. I’ve never had to say that about an OF product or a store pick, especially from this store.

My single barrel Old Forester is a barrel pick from John's City Diner in Birmingham, Al. The owner told me it had a nice grilled pineapple flavor, and I have to say that's a fairly apt description. The nose has a light, sweet fruitiness that continues to the palate. I've noticed that many Old Forester offerings have sweet fruit or fruitcake undertones. As mentioned, there's subtle hints pineapple and maybe cloves. I taste just a bit of the oak barrel with a pleasant spiciness. There's a nice wash of sweetness on the end, with an bittersweet after taste that leans to the sweeter side. This is a nice, unique bottle. Im glad I picked it up.

2020 release / Warehouse J / 4th Floor It is a rich, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey by Old Forester Distillery in Kentucky selected with the aid of master taster Jackie Zykan bottled at 90 proof. It has an aromatic birth with notes of sweet tea, espresso, a hint of apple, dark chocolate, butterscotch & anise; while an elegant life adds notes of toffee, vanilla, citrus, apple-spice-tart & toasted oak spices; that leads to a long & fruity death. July / September / October 2020 / July 2022

Nose: oak, butterscotch, caramel, clove, little bit of vanilla, pepper, leather, lemon. Body: really tasting the leather, oak, and pepper. Mostly bitter, masks over the other sweet notes such as the vanilla, caramel, and maple syrup. Finish: Medium, bitter and spicy, can taste the leather mask the entire palette and throat. Tingly. Also tasting a lot of rye. Overall a hot bourbon with a very predominant leathery note, while sweeter notes take a backseat to the bitterness.

Newly released store pick. Upon opening there is a strong aroma of grapes and caramel with a slight hint of maple. After a second pour, there is definitely an initial grape and fruity taste, along with some caramel, but really no maple taste. The middle continues with an orange and grape flavor with hints of caramel. The finish is pretty smooth, slightly sweet oak with just a hint of ethanol. Could also probably be used as a decent mixer to create a different flavor profile.