Now, before I start this review, I feel the need to add a disclaimer. I'm not a fan of Bourbon. That's not to say I don't like them as there are some that I do find agreeable to my tastes, but I tend to find that the spice and wood notes in some brands overpower everything else in the glass. To me, Old Forester is just one of those bourbons and I'll hopefully elucidate why as this review progresses.
But before we get into that, let's sit down for some story time and look into the backstory to the brand first. Based in the state of Kentucky, USA, Old Forester claims to be the first bottled Bourbon in the USA and boasts a strong pedigree dating back to 1870. Officially, it's the longest running bourbon on the US markets (They devilishly got around the prohibition period by re-branding their product as a pharmaceutical! Genius!) and has a fairly interesting history, starting life on the shelves of pharmacies and gaining fame through its producers exclusive use of only sealed glass bottles. This gave consumers what was basically a seal of authenticity at a time when many other brands used containers that could easily be adulterated with fake alcohol. Brand confidence grew and it soon became one of the largest brands in the USA, allowing its owners to purchase other brands. One of those purchases, a certain Tennessee whisky would soon eclipse Old Forester and conquer the markets of the USA, and eventually the world. However, that's a story for another day.
They use a high rye mashbill of 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malt.
Vitals:
ABV: 43%
Colour: Auburn
Chill-filtered: No
Nose: Very sweet with a rich spice note. Ripe bananas, sweet corn and vanilla intermingle with cinnamon, black pepper and ginger. Has a slightly earthy-woody aroma. 20/25
Palate: Vanilla immediately hits the senses, but it's followed up with lots of woody barrel spice and rye spice that completely and utterly dominates the palate. You might get more out of this if you are into Rye, but Rye isn't my thing. 9/25
Finish: Medium to long length. Sweet corn notes finally return as it nears its finish, while the wood spice notes evolve into more complex notes of licorice and star anise, giving a very interesting ending as it fades. 16/25
Value*: My understanding is that it's a fairly cheap and affordable Bourbon in the USA, but it's not easy to procure in South Korea. Where it can be found, it's usually at least double the price of what it's sold for in the US, coming in at around the 50,000 won price bracket. 14/25
Conclusion:
Old Forester is very pleasant on the nose but if you are not a fan of high rye bourbons then this might not be your cup of tea (or coffee). It's overly spicy on the palate, to the point of crowding out everything else, but mellows out with some more complex notes as it nears the finish. I might come back to this one in the future after saturating my taste buds with Rye whisky and see if I can get the tasting notes that others on the likes of "Masters of Malt" get from it. For now though, I'll agree to disagree and call it a "marmite" whisky. Either you love it, or you hate it.
Basic Rating(N+P+F): 60%
Price Adjusted Rating(N+P+F+V)*: 59%
Daily Drinker: No
Possible pairing: Steak, Jerky
Where to find in Korea: Namdaemun (full bottle) or Wine and More (Minitures)
TLDR Version:
N: Bananas, corn, vanilla, cinnamon, black pepper and ginger
P: overly spicy, Rye and wood dominate
F: sweetcorn, wood, licorice and star anise
V: Overpriced in South Korea
Buy / Mooch / Pass: Pass
Review by Glasgowhisky
2020/01/20
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