I suspect our frequent caterwauling on paying more for less and why that is, you know, bad, is falling on deaf ears. And maybe that’s okay. The whiskey category, especially American whiskey, is growing mainly because people are willing to shell out obscene amounts of money for whiskey that was cheaper five years ago, and especially giddy to pay $50 or more bucks for a brand that just showed up 5 minutes ago and no one seems to know who distilled it. We shouldn’t get so upset, because we get to enjoy the popularity and “new cool” factor. But when it’s over, and it WILL be over, eventually, we will greatly welcome the return to cheaper prices and increased quality. The return to general sanity will be greatly appreciated as well (we’re looking at you, Pappy). In the meantime, we will continue to promote bottles that we feel are “value” buys, that is, bottles that are affordable yet display an impressive overall offering of quality for the price. One of those bottlings is Old Forester from Brown-Forman. On to some particulars…

Old Forester started in 1870 as the first American whisky (that’s right, no “e” on this one) sold exclusively in bottles, as bourbon used to be bought from the barrel. At 144 years and counting, it is the longest running bourbon brand, and one of the very very few that survived prohibition. Distilled from a mash bill of 72% corn – 18% rye – 10% malted barley at Early Times Distillery in Shively, Kentucky, Old Forester is a touch over 4 years old. While sharing the same mash bill as Woodford Reserve, the sour mash and yeast strain is different. For a few more dollars, the 100 proof version has limited availability, but the more widely available 86 proof version is what we look at today.

SWC Group Review

Nose- Nice balance between soft corn and toffee/vanilla feel and a pronounced, spicy rye presence of mint, cinnamon and pine. Nice work.
Taste- Sweet oak but mostly a dry rye feel. Black pepper. Quiet.
Finish- Short finish with some barrel char and lingering rye notes.
Comment – Nothing overly exciting but a decent daily sipper. Great value buy. Nose is the highlight. Recommended for those looking for something good around the $20.00 range.
SWC Rating – 81/100

Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments section below.

Contact us at SpokaneWhiskey@gmail.com