Bourbon Reviews:




Bottling NameOld Forester
Bottled ByBrown-Forman Distillers Company Louisville,Ky
TypeKentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Alcohol content86 Proof
Availability US: Available Japan: Unknown Duty Free: Unknown Europe: Unknown
Mashbill Infocorn, rye and malted barley - rich in rye content. Old Forester is richer in rye than most bourbons
Age4
Views (since 20080612) 55691
Bottling Info



Review from Watson Roadster (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2368, Created:20160423010231)
Purchased at:LCBO Rymal Corners (Hamilton) ,Ontario
Purchased for:$36.95 CDN
Info on this bottle:Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky "First Bottled Bourbon"
Nose:Caramel...Vanilla...Candied fruit (like cherries or grapes)..Bubble gum..
Taste:Sweet corn,vanilla,hints of cherries,a nice hot of rye spice..And,some very muted oak and char...Extremely smooth...
Finish:Fairly lingering and there's some viscosity with this stuff...Not as complex as the initial taste...Vanilla..Almost a cola thing....and some very muted oak...Very nice!!
Overall:The caramel flavour in the 100 proof version is more intense,but this is a very good and reasonably complex lower proof version that isn't that expensive (by Ontario standards)..I wish more Old Forester offerings were available here as I have liked all that I have had. This is a very drinkable bourbon and totally recommended...

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Review from bacalou (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2166, Created:20130313012032) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Lexington, SC
Info on this bottle:Standard 750 ml bottle
Nose:Initially vanilla with floral undertones, a slight oak finish
Taste:Caramel initial hit, sweetness follows
Finish:initial vanilla with a strong oak finish
Overall:IMO best bargain bourbon on the market

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Review from frozenjoe (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1883, Created:20101105002755) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Arizona 2010
Purchased for:$8.99
Info on this bottle:750 ml
Nose:Vanilla. Oak. Light char.
Taste:Some sweet corn upfront. Followed by dry finish. A little harsh. Dry oak.
Finish:The dry oak lingers. So does the lite burn. A little bit of vanilla in the finish too.
Overall:This was my first time drinking Old Forester. Honestly, from the reviews I had read on this site I expected more. This is a mediocre bourbon. Nothing special. Overall it is dry and slightly harsh. There is some complexity to the taste, but it is not the smoothest drink.

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1846, Created:20100616174906)
Purchased at:USA Liquors Conyers, GA
Purchased for:$12.99
Info on this bottle:4 YO - Distilled circa 1990 - has tax stamp
Nose:Corn, vanilla, rye grain, leather, nutmeg, barrel char, nuts and a twist of orange. Excellent nose, fullsome and complex.
Taste:Softly sweet, great viscosity with lots of creamy mouthfeel. Moderate pepper and zesty spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg) with some orange tang bouncing around. Mildly assertive in its great balance.
Finish:Clean, neat, lengthy...........just right.
Overall:Excellent, excellent, excellent. There was at least one more bottle left on the shelf.............I owe it to myself to steal it for $12.99. This puts a very big smile on my mug. Get the picture............I am in front of my computer, the bottle is in front of me, as is my bourbon drinking glass. The bottle has a light yellow label, when I pick the bottle up to pour another sip, I have a strong feeling of being a man in control.............really, really, good bourbon, a most full bottle, the world is turning to my tune...........what a foolish fellow am I............you should be here to be foolish with me. Man this is good whiskey...........and I still gots money in my pocket after buying it. In its sophistication, it reminds me of the Jack Daniel's Single Barrel. What a lucky man am I on this day!

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Review from gillmang (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1704, Created:20090928210323, Updated:20090928210631)
Purchased at:Cane Run Road, L'ville
Info on this bottle:Current purchase, pint format
Nose:Some coppery elements, scents reminiscent of Woodford but with deeper fruity tangs
Taste:Heavy-bodied, sweet and rounded, black fruit (blackberry, dark cherries) and wood-driven
Finish:Rooty notes like aged grains and medicine
Overall:Best Signature I ever had, a steal at the price.

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Review from kystormwatch (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1491, Created:20090216185640) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Liquor Barn
Purchased for:$16
Info on this bottle:Standard Bottle
Nose:Not pleasant....musty and earthy.
Taste:Something in the first few seconds that seemed quite sour and highly tannic. Ugh!
Finish:The oak comes on eventually, but nothing that makes me change my mind or makes this more enjoyable.
Overall:My first introduction to OF was the recently released 2008 Birthday OF. It was/is terrific. So I decided to try some of the main line products. I have to say I'm dissapointed here. And not just in comparison to the much pricier OF BB.

I'm not going to be too critical here, because I honestly wonder if the bottle I have is really representative of typical OF. There seem to be a lot of positive opinions here from folks that I often agree with, so I find my drastically different experience to be a bit puzzling. I'm going to share this bottle with a knowledgeable bourbon drinking friend for a second opinion.

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Review from BuffaloBill (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1288, Created:20080909213349)
Purchased at:Cape Cod, MA
Purchased for:$22
Info on this bottle:Old Forester "4 Years Old" (gold foil label - post 1987)
Nose:Perfect.
Taste:Perfect.
Finish:Perfect. More like an 8 Year. Or a ten year. I've had 13 Year old Bourbon that wasn't this good.
Overall:I'm trying to find out when this bottle was actually bottled. It's out of this world. BB

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Review from BuffaloBill (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1276, Created:20080907004731)
Purchased at:Cape Cod
Purchased for:$16
Info on this bottle:Old Forester
Nose:One third down on the bottle after being opened for approximately 12 weeks. Still a charmer. Better now than ever... fruit and tea wafts over the top, less the sweaty edge. It's happening, balanced. Best Buy on the shelf.
Taste:Good legs, easy drinking, smooth, good viscosity and complexity. Brown sugar along with mixed fruit comes through. Pleasing. Vanilla, chocolate, coffee (Cappuccino) takes over, aside from some interesting citrus notes.
Finish:Medium.
Overall:Best Buy. Can't beat it... It's the Cappuccino that has taken me some time to figure. I finally hit the target. Coffee notes... BB

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Review from BuffaloBill (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1107, Created:20080604000258)
Purchased at:Cape Cod MA
Info on this bottle:Standard
Nose:Earthy mustiness; musky & dusty. Succulent sweetness prevails... amazing complexity for short money with a lactic (sweaty) edge. Pungent, with all of the Old Forester woodiness and fine character.
Taste:Dry spice and caramel, a subtle vegetative characteristic after the second day opened. Ever so slightly peppery, along with black olive & pine underlying the candy store sweetness and black currents. Orange peel and rye.... nutty.
Finish:It finishes quick, very dry, and clean.
Overall:[Overall impression of this bottling]As a fan of their Birthday Bourbon - I decided to get back to my roots and purchase a new bottle of the original 86 proof. By far the best $15 spent on a bottle of bourbon. Now I am looking forward to trying the 100 Proof Signature. Old Forester will be a staple within this household for a long time to come. And I would not be embarrassed to serve this to company. Neat!

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Review from spun_cookie (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1101, Created:20080601203723)
Purchased at:
Nose:more complx than todays, but still Forester. Maple, vanilla, and light oak
Taste:Better than I expected. Very smooth with more vanilla
Finish:45-60s worth of bourbon bliss. The light oak and vanilla danced for a good spell
Overall:Another winner by the g-bros for tasting. Wonderful to try...

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Review from spun_cookie (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1051, Created:20080402222445, Updated:20080402222722)
Purchased at:Near LAX
Purchased for:6.50
Info on this bottle:375 ml
Proof Of this Bottle:86
Nose:You know, the nose is not too bad. Some brown sugar/maple, vanilla, alcohol... and a little floral...
Taste:Does not taste as good as it smells.... leather, earth, muted something or another... (technical term).
Finish:Quick leather and then a little burn leading to charred oak, earth tones with leather and vanilla bean. Not a bad finish for a cheap bourbon...

Ends with some light floral notes...
Overall:I got more than I expected. I though for sure this would be painful, but as it opened a little.. better than I though. I will not be adding it to my shelves at home, but I will take it over JD, PDB, and a few others. No banana taste..



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Review from whiskeyhatch (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 952, Created:20071219122024, Updated:20071219124959)
Purchased at:Holiday Liquors
Purchased for:Less than $15
Info on this bottle:Distilled & Bottled by Brown-Forman Distillers Co. at Louisville in Kentucky
Proof Of this Bottle:86
Nose:The nose is very dark. A predominate char is first noticable with a tinge of vanilla. Dark cherries and toffee line the char giving an accent of sweetness.
Taste:The palate is also very dark. Again, the char is most pronounced but balanced with a dark cherry sweetness. Black pepper emerges in mid palate and swells toward the finish.
Finish:Like some beautiful tidal ebb-and-flow, the char reemerges, balanced initially by black pepper, but then fades back into the pepper for a nice medium to long finish.
Overall:This is my 3rd or 4th bottle and it will soon be replaced. Don't tell anyone but I think that this bottling is one of the hidden treasures of the bourbon world. I love the dark character and the swirling interplay of flavor it presents. I look forward to trying the BIB version because the 86 seems to lack a richness that I am hoping a 100 proof will provide. However, the 86 proof is still a favorite and a magnificent value at its current price.

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Review from gillmang (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 675, Created:20070103033732, Updated:20070104080515)
Purchased at:Las Vegas liquor store, Fremont area downtown
Purchased for:$3.00
Info on this bottle:Mini with pink paper strip stamp not showing dates, circa early 1980's I believe
Nose:Caramel, wood char accents
Taste:Kind of chewy and rich ("peanut brittle''), with an acidic edge (tannin?), similar and yet not to current OF. I don't detect any, or very much, of the cherry-like tone most OF and derivatives have today. I don't get much of a floral note either; maybe it burned off years ago?
Finish:A balanced finish with no off-notes, the overall impression is of peanut brittle again with a lactic-like edge.
Overall:An excellent whiskey which shows the style of B-F bourbon distillation of 30 years ago. While I am a big fan of current O-F, the one of a generation ago seems heavier, richer, more mature. Yet, this was achieved without recourse to leathery overage or other clumsy notes (bugaboos of some so-called premium bourbons of today).

This circa-1980 OF was the result of generations of adjustment and tweaking of palate and batching formulas. This process was, I believe, largely un-self-conscious. By this I mean, it was not intended to make a "super-premium" palate in the current sense (i.e., something big and rich-tasting to appeal to a limited, well-heeled, brand-conscious market).

Rather, I think the palate had evolved over a long time and the thousands of small changes and adjustments since inception of the brand, made by people with ancestral or not long-handed-down knowledge, resulted in a superb product. The process was, one might say, organic, or mostly so.

Probably 1980 OF was closer to the 1800's original than today's version although I imagine the earliest ones were heavier and chewier still. I stress I am very pleased with current OF. Still, tasted side-by-side, the older one seems less one-dimensional, richer, more mature.

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Review from bourbonv (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 428, Created:20060318082605)
Purchased at:Bourbon's Bistro Bar
Purchased for:5.00
Info on this bottle:Standard Bottle
Proof Of this Bottle:86
Nose:Sweet vanilla and citrus with a little cinnamon spice and leather.
Taste:Sweet corn and vanilla with a little spice and leather.
Finish:Sweet vanilla and spice that lingers.
Overall:Very good bourbon neat or in a manhattan.

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 338, Created:20060131155732, Updated:20060131175208)
Purchased at:Obscure roadside liquor store
Purchased for:$6 half pint
Proof Of this Bottle:86
Nose:Pleasant but somewhat weak, very floral as Mike Veach noted. Corn is very prominent with rye discernable. Nicely balanced, but timid.
Taste:Better than the nose, with a definite viscous mouthfeel with the corn sweetness taking the most prominent part. Mid-palate is somewhat weak, not sustaining the upfront advantage.
Finish:A bit of welcomed spice and pepper in the finish, since the mid-palatle faltered.
Overall:All the characteristics of a good bourbon are there.........but in a mild concoction. For someone who wishes to begin drinking whiskey straight, but fears the strong taste, you have found a friend!. This bourbon gives you the true bourbon experience in 'training' mode. From here on, the challenge, and the rewards, grow!!

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Review from bourbonv (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 89)
Purchased at:Taken home after a bourbon academy
Info on this bottle:Standard bottle from liqor store
Proof Of this Bottle:86
Nose:Vanilla with floral tones - violets. A little candy corn hiding behind some nice oak.
Taste:Candy corn caramel, with some fruit - pears and a nice splash of spice - nutmeg. Very smooth with a nice, slightly oily mouthfeel and a pleasant warmth.
Finish:Not a real long finish but a little sweet vanilla and oak.
Overall:A good bourbon but I prefer the 100 proof version. The extra proof gives it that little extra taste that pushes it to the next level.

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