Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

Difford's Guide
Discerning Drinkers (2 ratings)

alc./vol: 43%

Proof: 86°

Vintage: Non-vintage

Aged: No age statement

Product of: Product of United States United States

The distillery that produces this bourbon (also previously named Old Forester) in Shively, Kentucky is the same distillery, and it is believed the same mash bill (72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley), that supplies the bulk of the whiskey that is blended to make Woodford Reserve bourbon whiskey.

Back in the 1800s, whiskey was sold by the cask and although these barrels were branded with a distiller's or brand's name. It was possible for the unscrupulous to tamper with the contents, thinning with an inferior whiskey or even water. In 1870, George Garvin Brown, a young pharmaceuticals salesman in Louisville, Kentucky, recognised that people sought assurance of the quality of whiskey they were purchasing, so with $5,500 of savings and borrowed money, he and his half-brother started J.T.S. Brown and Bro. In 1873, they sold their Old Forester bourbon in sealed glass bottles to assure of its quality with George Garvin Brown's handwritten guarantee on every bottle. His signature still appears under the guarantee on every bottle.

During Prohibition (1920 to 1933), Old Forester was one of only ten brands authorized for lawful production for sale by doctor's prescription.

Review and Tasting


Sampled on 29/05/2015

Appearance:

Clear, coppery amber with polished bronze glints.

Aroma:

Toffee-apple, popcorn, maple, gooseberry, overripe banana and hints of matchbox striking paper (in a good way) with freshly sawn cedar wood.

Taste:

Woody with maple and freshly sawn oak, corn and apricot mid-palate turning to brandy butter before becoming drier and more woody.

Aftertaste:

Cedar wood, pine and maple with maple syrup, light cinnamon and lingering toasted oak and charcoal tannins.

Overall:

A straight bourbon with a high rye mash bill and associated spice, accompanied by pronounced dry woody notes.

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Product Information

Barcode UPC: 081128005047
Bottle Size: 700 ml
Closure: Screw / Stelvin cap

Barcode UPC: 5099873504086
Bottle Size: 700 ml

Composition

Energy: 236Kcal/100ml

More about Old Forester Straight Bourbon

Produced by: Brown-Forman Old Forester (Early Times)
Owned by: Brown-Forman Corporation
UK distribution by: Brown-Forman UK
UK trade PR by: Publicasity
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