Old Forester The 117 Series: High Angels' Share Barrels

Batch 3. About 65 bucks. Obviously...just dumb luck I found this one. I wasn't after it. Nose - HOT. So full disclosure this is in a copita and maybe the wrong glass. Oak, oak, and oak. It's hot, it's astringent...and yet. I kinda like it? Pull back and you'll get lovely vanilla, banana foster, and just good rich smokey toasted marsh mellow. Taste - Rich and full of flavor. 110 proof...you could tell me 130 with how rich this is. The back end needs more oils for THAT, but as a drinker I don't need a bit more here. It's fruity, yet heavy oak and char...it's big it's bold. Man. I gotta add water to explain this one. Somehow that sometimes metallic and off putting note you get on old forester has been covered in oak and pushed into a wonderful spice forward drinker. Lovely from top to bottom. For you looking for more notes, just chocolate, smoked vanilla, bannanas, cream, charred and smoked oak, with a fruity kinda pie thing. I'm impressed as hell. This is a flavor bomb up front, but not a deep nuanced whisky. Giving it a crazy high 3.25 and I'd go way higher for my enjoyment. This is everything I want in bourbon. Other than nuanced and complex age! And frankly it's got more of that than I'm letting on. There's depth here, but it comes on so intense it's hard to fully explore and savor.

Neat. Sample. Oh I enjoy this nose. It is what I expect from Old Forester 1920 with another layer of goodness to break apart. This is a full banana split Sunday with the strawberry on one side and the butterscotch on the other. The strawberry is even more prevalent than the banana surprisingly. There is this nice layer of smokiness and char. Wow, even got a whiff of peaches and pound cake. This nose is so fun. Okay, initial impression was not what I expected. Mouthfeel a bit average. Initial flavor on the tongue was a sweet mint. I’m going to reset a bit and come back, that was odd…. Coming back to it, still the same impression upfront. Transitions into that pound cake with banana runts. Finish brings the strawberry and vanilla. The char and smokiness is popping up mid palate through the finish now too. That strawberry dominates the finish though. Amazing nose, disappointing taste. Taste felt disjointed and lacked the deliciousness hinted at on the nose. The finish is nice with that said. The strawberry gives it a unique feel to other OF. The sample makes me less excited to own a bottle of this though.

Batch 1 Nose- old dusty books; rich caramel; raspberry jam; vanilla icing; brown sugar coated bananas; graham crackers; plums Palate- Rush of cherries; honeyed sweetness; apple pie filling; cinnamon; creamy vanilla; wet, musty oak Finish- Long, viscous finish; graham crackers; creme brulee; chewy caramel Absolutely fantastic. Better than this years birthday bourbon & I find alot of similarities to the 2018 OFBB (which I find outstanding). The nose is one of the best ive smelled in recent memory. The palate comes on with a viscous mouthfeel, tons of rich dark fruits & sweetness, the signature old forester banana note. The finish is long, rich and dark. Notes of creme brulee & old musty oak round this out. The palate could be a bit more complex, but this remains a fantastic whisky

This is Goldilocks for Old Forester … not too spicy, not too hot, not too pedestrian, and not too flat. Just right in all aspects. The 110 is a perfect proof point over many of their standard offerings and just below 1920’s. The 150 series compares nicely with the age and flavor profile but is just a bit too hot. Velvety mouthfeel with caramel as the top flavor. The finish and KY hug is significant for its proof point but ends at just the right time. This is a top 10 pour all time for me.

I love it. I know I rate everything high that I really enjoy but thats just bourbon for me. You have to screw up to get a low score from me. That said this might be the best OF product I've tried. The best way I could describe it is its like drinking a light bright whiskey and dark heavy bourbon all at the same time. It is a little punchy but punchy is what reminds us were alive. Don't pay much over retail for this but if its under 100 get yourself 1. If its 70 get 2 or 3

A big hype rarity that actually lives up to the hype, OF 117 is a gem. Somehow delicate & big at the same time, this is actually a perfect whiskey. While better than the OF 1920, it doesn’t murder it though—which is a testament to just how profound it is that Old Forester produces something that available and consistently great. But make no mistake—117 is extraordinary; the highest elevation of the OF flavor profile.