Old Forester has been on the market continuously for longer than any other bourbon and was the first bourbon sold exclusively in sealed bottles. The brand was first bottled and marketed in 1870 by the former pharmaceutical salesman turned bourbon-merchant George Garvin Brown — the founder of the Brown–Forman Corporation. During Prohibition period from 1920 to 1933, Brown–Forman received one of only six licenses authorizing lawful production for medicinal purposes.
Today the company is still managed by his descendants and is produced under the supervision of Master Distiller Chris Morris on historic Whisky Row in the original building used from 1882–1919.
Bourbon Review: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
ABV: 57.5% (115 Poof)
Type: Bourbon
Age: Not Listed
Color: Copper
Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
Distillery: Old Forrester Distillery
Location: Louisville, KY (USA)
The Nose: The nose is very mellow with hints of cherries, sweet maple syrup and a touch of oak. None of them jump out of the glass, but they do show up. Coming in at 115 proof, the aroma is misleading.
The Tasting: The first sip reveals notes of banana, vanilla, charred oak with a toasted caramel finish. Subsequent sips reveals caramelized sugar like on a creme brûlée with a fairly long smokey finish. It is balanced to perfection with some nice complexity that makes this a mesmerizing bourbon.
The Pairing: We opted to pair this bourbon with a cigar that has a nice amount of sweetness to it. The cigar we chose is a new release for 2022 called ADVentura Barbarroja’s Invasion which offers up notes of cinnamon, maple and brown sugar. The pairing reduces the smokey nature of the high proof bourbon and puts more of a focus on the sweetness is serves up. We never allow our pairing to affect our final score but if it did, it would increase it by 1 point.
The Finish: It is rich, bold and complex making it one of my go to bourbons. The price point is a tad high, but we feel the experience this bourbon delivers makes it worth every penny. The banana notes we get on the first sip every time keeps brings us back for more.
Score: 94
Price: $59.99 (750ml / New Hampshire)
