Bourbon Reviews:




Bottling NameOld Forester
Bottled ByBrown-Forman Distillers Company Louisville,Ky
TypeKentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Alcohol content100 Proof
Availability US: Available Japan: Unknown Duty Free: Unknown Europe: Unknown
Mashbill InfoDSP Ky 414
Views (since 20080612) 66918
Bottling InfoAlso called Bottled in Bond

corn, rye and malted barley - rich in rye content. Old Forester is richer in rye than most bourbons



Review from Wasatch (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2194, Created:20130511161410)
Purchased at:Layton, State Liquor Store
Purchased for:$21.99 750ml
Info on this bottle:Signature
Nose:Nice dark golden amber color.

Very very nice vanilla note, caramel, honey, nice oaky scent, spicy.
Taste:Very nice oak note, sweet touch of vanilla, caramel, with some spicy notes.
Finish:Lasts pretty long, nice little burn at the end, pretty smooth for a 100 proof.
Overall:Another very nice bourbon for the price, highly recommend.

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Review from gillmang (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2174, Created:20130328210235)
Purchased at:Montreal, Quebec
Purchased for:Approx. $45.00 (import pricing)
Info on this bottle:Standard 100 proof Signature
Nose:More happening than the JD SB's I just reviewed but hard to describe
Taste:Full flavor, woody and sweet in the best possible way, clean, with distillery character modified just to the right point.
Finish:A fine perfume lingers in the nasal passages and good decay as Mr. Bunghole used to say. Classy stuff, if something half of which helps power stock cars can be termed classy (but so 'tis by my terms).
Overall:Really top of the line, you won't get anything better at any price, IMO.

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2084, Created:20120618180623, Updated:20120618180812)
Purchased at:Sigman Bottle Shop, Conyers, GA
Purchased for:$18 (I think)
Info on this bottle:Old Forester 'Signature' Bourbon
Nose:This bourbon reeks nicely of vanilla, oak, maple syrup, caramel, rye, corn, oranges, allspice, and a skosh of nutmeg in the mix. Nice nose, y'all, very nice indeed! Ready now for a sip, expecting good things on the palate! A bourbonic nose this good rarely lies about the taste to follow.
Taste:Ah, thick, rich, sweetness from the barrel. There are the same elements identified in the nose, with lots of caramel, vanilla, oak, corn, and citrus flavors. The warm spices kick in with a ginger/cinnamon flash that does not wipe out the creamy barrel flavors.
Finish:The finish is long with remnants of the viscous and rich flavors as the spice dies slowly.
Overall:An excellent buy in bourbon. I told my dog, Barleycorn, that if he will play, 'Oh, Bury Me Not On The Lone Pararie', on his harmonica (in Blues mode), I will allow him several sips of this bourbon. He don't much like me to sing whilst he plays, so I'm just gone sip and listen. And just what, I ask you, is an excellent bourbon for, if not for sipping and listening to your dog play cowboy songs on the harmonica? 'What you mean dog, you need a better harmonica?' 'You ain't got all the good out of the one I bought you back in '94!' This dog has always been pushing, pushing..... way too much like a human far as I am concerned.

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Review from Watson Roadster (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2057, Created:20120309213204) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:LCBO Burlington,Ontario
Purchased for:$44.95 CDN
Info on this bottle:Old Forester Signature
Nose:Fruity...I smell apples..Vanilla...Oak...
Taste:Very rich...Heavy duty caramel...Then rapidly fading to rye spice...Considering the proof,there's no real alcohol burn...
Finish:Caramel and vanilla with the oak and a hint of that apple thing from the nose...This is fairly viscous stuff,so it definately lingers...
Overall:Overall,this is good bourbon.It's slightly less expensive than Woodford Reserve,but surprisingly,this bottle had alot more flavour than the last bottle of Woodford I had.I know that Woodford uses the "honey barrels" that are used for aging Old Forester,but frankly,this is as good as the best Woodford I've had...Unfortunately,it's simply not widely available here...This is good bourbon,so,check it out if you've got the chance...

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Review from whiskeybreath (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1949, Created:20110402211609, Updated:20110402211855) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Lillie's Package Liquor Store for $11
Info on this bottle:Distilled Fall 1972;Bottled Spring 1977 1.75 liter jug; 100 proof BIB.
Nose:Pepper, wood and a hint of mint.
Taste:MELLOW CORN IN SPADES. A little char from the barrel. Almost a kool menthol taste too. Left a Belgan Waffle taste in my mouth for a long time afterward.
Finish:Starts out soft and "cool". Followed a nuclear detonation of flavor and some bite. I like that!
Overall:While not on a par with the National Distillers or Stitzel-Weller brands from the same period, it is not far behind, and head & shoulders above anything found in todays current brands for sure. Down to my last 1.75l of the old green tax labeled Old Forester bottles. Thats depressing. I was surprised at the light color of this bottle. The other "dusty" Old Forester bottles I bought were MUCH darker, and just a tad better tasting than this one.

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Review from Big_Dave (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1882, Created:20101103145021)
Purchased at:
Nose:[Olfactory impressions]
Taste:[Description of the initial taste impression]
Finish:[Description of the lingering taste impression]
Overall:[Overall impression of this bottling]

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Review from Victor28 (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1880, Created:20101102222137, Updated:20101115114619)
Purchased at:Montgomery County, MD
Purchased for:$ 18
Info on this bottle:Signature
Nose:Light maple and vanilla
Taste:Lots of rye depth; alcohol burn more like 125 proof than 100 proof; deep wood flavors; I liked the taste much better with a couple of drops of water added--there was mellowing, sweetening, and adding of some nice top notes in the flavor. There is a lot of flavor here, but it is not particularly smooth when drunk neat.
Finish:Rather long finish, which was also much more enjoyable with a little water added.
Overall:I usually like to drink my whiskies neat. I had a fantastic bottle of the Old Forester 100 proof 75th Anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition which was great neat. This bottle of the Signature was not as exciting in flavor or a as pleasant to drink neat as was that one, but this one was fairly pleasant with some water added.
Later comment: the flavor consumed neat improved significantly after the bottle had been opened for a few weeks. I enjoy it neat now, although it still does not have the pizzazz of the Repeal special edition.

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Review from BourbonDave (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1623, Created:20090706224349, Updated:20090707120802)
Purchased at:Liquor Barn, Lexington, KY
Purchased for:$16
Info on this bottle:SIgnature
Nose:Caramel, brown sugar, floral with some spicy rye thrown in. I definitely am picking up the green apple.
Taste:Very smooth for a 100 proof bourbon, sweet up front with a peppery blast mid palate. Nice viscosity. Some fruitiness at mid palate, dark fruits perhaps dates and little oak.
Finish:Nice finish. A little dry and warming.
Overall:This is a great buy for under $20. It smells wonderful in the bottle, and has many of the same attributes as WR. IMO it is a less refined 100 proof WR. You should try it, it's great neat, on the rocks, or with a splash.

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Review from gillmang (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1530, Created:20090411183515, Updated:20090411195604)
Purchased at:Miami recently
Purchased for:$15.95
Info on this bottle:Pre-Signature bottling with dimpled sides
Nose:Light and clean with notes of dates and brown sugar, cured wood - classic bourbon nose but not heavy on the olfactory sense
Taste:Very clean, firm, flavorful, no esters as in the current version. In the current OF 100, you can get the connection to WR; not in the (or this) oldie which must go back 10 years or so.
Finish:Very light finish, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
Overall:Excellent quality for the proof and the price. As good as Signature today, but different, in my opinion.

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1447, Created:20090128145610)
Purchased at:Just this side of I don't know
Purchased for:About $20 give or take some quarters
Info on this bottle:Signature Edition
Nose:Toasted caramel, rye, vanilla, leather, a touch of nutmeg, a stray nut or two, a whiff of oak, and some ripe peaches. Great nose, lively, complex, giving up one surprise after another.
Taste:Marvelous deep and creamy corn/vanilla/maple/caramel sweetness that coats and clings until the alcohol/rye spice jumps in to scratch the back of the palate. A taste treat!
Finish:Warm, long, thick, slowly drying.
Overall:Just so!!

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Review from BuffaloBill (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1183, Created:20080703232542)
Purchased at:Boston, MA
Purchased for:$38 1.75ml
Info on this bottle:Old Forester Signature (2006)
Nose:Stunning. Soft Kraft caramel is the predominant note, coming into balance with fine Rye. Can't take my nose out of the glass... everything is just right, nicely balanced.
Taste:A light to medium viscosity unravels fairly quickly into a delicate clove crescendo and some dry spice, cinnamon/nutmeg, along with tantalizing vanilla lingering after 30 seconds and a clean/dry ending 60-90 seconds - warming the inside (cheeks) of your mouth and edges of your tongue.
Finish:Clean, long, and moderately dry. Leather, Sweet Tobacco, and English Toffee, layers the bottom of the glass.
Overall:This is a treat and very easy to drink, almost too easy... ;-) At 100 proof it shows fine character and good aging (no age statement). Fine as an aperitif or after dinner statement. It's boastful, lively, and fun. A great addition to my O.F. collection. BB

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Review from Jon (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 776, Created:20070529102853, Updated:20070529110457)
Purchased at:liquor barn, lexington
Info on this bottle:signature
Proof Of this Bottle:100
Nose:Caramel apples, maple syrup, and ending with spicy rye, oak and a hint of fruit I couldn't put my finger on.
Taste:Initially, the fruity caramel and maple/oak come through and then there it is. Something barely perceptible, almost like a ripe mango or floral note gives it an airy and light quality that makes it what it is and separates it from others. A very pleasant flavor that makes this bourbon attractive, even straight up!
Finish:Medium length with the unique flavor distracting from the 100 proof burn( because it is there). Couldn't really smell the floral notes but could taste them. Ends in a pleasant toffee, apple, oak note as the fumes dissipate. Very, very nice!!
Overall:Very impressed! Compared beside VOB 100 and there are no strong similarities in flavor characteristics except that they are both bourbons. Forester 100 signature is your bourbon if you like rye bourbons but wish they were sweeter up front.

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 725, Created:20070312132705)
Purchased at:Green's Beverage on Ponce De Leon, Atlanta, Jawja
Purchased for:Mere $17
Info on this bottle:Old Forester Signature Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
Proof Of this Bottle:100
Nose:A creamy vanilla/corny sweet nose that also has aromas of citrus, rye, oak, and butterscotch. A prelude straight from the barrel. Well done!
Taste:Thick, sweet, upfront corn and citrus followed by peppery spice along about mid way on to the back of the mouth where the alcohol beats its chest in a show of bravado that will intimidate only the timid.........not us he-men.
Finish:Lengthy finish with residual rich caramel that slides over into dryness upon exit. I think I will have just another small sip here. This game ain't over 'til the fat lady sits on me.........
Overall:A straight forward bourbon that is excellent. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors......put it in your beans like Mike Veach does. I wish I had me a mess of them beans this very minute, maybe I could offer her some so the fat lady would get offn me.

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Review from gillmang (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 652, Created:20061120130208, Updated:20061122043038) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Small store on Cane Run Road, Louisville,
Info on this bottle:Bought a few days ago.
Nose:Cherries and other dark fruits - it immediately reminded me of Woodford in this regard although Woodford's smell is heavier with "copper" notes
Taste:More cherries and of course smokey wood and corn and grain flavours. The drink was very clean, no mustiness or off-notes. The flavors were "busy", not a harmony of tastes but a riot of flavors all rivalling for ascendancy. I didn't notice much heat, it was very drinkable neat even at 100 proof.
Finish:Quite long with the profusion of tastes still evident.
Overall:I rate this very high. I don't think I've had the 100 proof before. Somehow (as in the Jack Single Barrel and Silver Select) the higher proof accentuates the best in this whiskey. I think I prefer it to WR, I am not sure what mingling all-pot still does for this whiskey although the vice versa may not be true. This is another reminder how good American whiskey can be and how reasonable in price. As good as the oldies were I had recently this is as good in its way. The style is different (less sweet, less "concentrated") but it is very good for the style it represents.

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Review from bourbonv (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 584, Created:20060903075927) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:JD Knaebel's 1/2 bottle
Info on this bottle:The President's Select, from about 1966
Proof Of this Bottle:90.3
Nose:A very fruity nose with berries or black cherry fruit and spice. The spice is anise / liquorice with lots of vanilla and a hint of wood - well seasoned oak.
Taste:Fruity - apricot or very ripe peaches with caramel and a hint of leather. The spice flavor comes through with definite liquorice and maybe a little pepper towards the finish.
Finish:Very sweet caramel and oak that last a long time. The finish got better the longer the bourbon breathed.
Overall:An excellent old product. JD, Kirsten and I all agreed that this was a top notch product and wished that it was made today.

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Review from bourbonv (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 556, Created:20060728154258)
Purchased at:Gift from Chris Morris
Info on this bottle:The new Signature Bottling
Proof Of this Bottle:100
Nose:Sweet fruits - apricots and very ripe peaches, with caramel and a little spice - nutmeg or alspice. Just a hint of oak barrel.
Taste:Very fruity sweet with ripe fruit suchas peaches or plums with caramel and spice.
Finish:Sweet carmel and oak with just a hint of chocolate. Very long lasting and pleasant.
Overall:This is Old Forester at its best. Some of the Birthday bourbons may have a bit of edge on flavor, but this bourbon taste great and will be available all year long.

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Review from bourbonv (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 427, Created:20060318082316)
Purchased at:Bourbon's Bistro Bar
Purchased for:6.00
Info on this bottle:Standard Bottle
Proof Of this Bottle:100
Nose:Candy corn and dark fruits - apricots and dates, with a little oak wood and tobacco.
Taste:Creme-brule and oak with a little pepper spice - very smooth with only a little alcohol heat on the tongue.
Finish:Clean and sweet with vanilla and oak.
Overall:Nery nice neat - one of my favorites.

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Review from bunghole (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 74)
Purchased at:Liquor Barn in Louisville, Kentucky
Purchased for:$16.99 / 1 Liter Bottle
Nose:BIG floral topnotes - violets mostly. Nice tight sweet corn & char rythum section. Fruity complexities with apricots, dates, maybe some green apple. Some spice undertones that are too subtle for me to discern.
Taste:I've always thought of Old Forester as a Big BOLD Bourbonic sweet-tart. At the entry on the palate it is sweet, but it doesn't take long for that 18% rye grain to explode with spiciness at the back of the throat. The sweet side is a complex mix of caramel and toffee with some vanilla. I like to think of it as the string section where no one instrument stands out alone.
Finish:The finish is where Old Forester truely shines! Starting with a warm drying oakyness that sweetens up as it decays. I think of this facet as a kind of flavor reverb that has that certain special smooth twang that always brings a smile - A Fender Twin Reverb you can drink.
Overall:Superb in every dimension! A great treat that is very reminiscent of the ultra-candy goodness of Woodford Reserve Master Distiller's Select Batch #40! It's music for your mouth and candy for your soul. I only wish this was available in Virginia.

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Review from bourbonv (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 73)
Purchased at:
Info on this bottle:Standard U.S. Market version
Proof Of this Bottle:100
Nose:Honey and fruits - apricots and dates. Oak with a hint of spice - maybe nutmeg.
Taste:Caramel toffee with a blast of peppery spice towards the end. Very smooth with no alcohol burn, but a pleasant warmth going down the throat.
Finish:Sweet vanilla with a nutty dryness.
Overall:This is one of my favorite products and enjoyed often. It also works very good while cooking. Old Forester Baked Beans always pleases the crowd.

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