Bourbon

Old Forester 1920 Bourbon Review

Image courtesy of Old Forester


Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style is the third entry in the brand’s Whiskey Row series, following Old Forester 1870 and Old Forester 1897.  The bourbon is an homage to the distillation of Old Forester during Prohibition as a medicinal whiskey.  It is bottled 115 proof and available for about $60 a bottle.  The 115 bottling proof featured here is what Brown-Forman calls vintage barrel strength. 

The nose features deep aromas of medium brown sugar, caramelized cherries and apples, vanilla cream, pie crust, and oak spice.  Taste-wise, Old Forester 1920 comes across as rich, with notes of spiced caramel, vanilla bean, chocolate covered almonds, and cinnamon sugar, followed by hints of white pepper and sweet corn mash.  The finish is long and warm, with caramel and some drying oak spice.

Old Forester’s Whiskey Row series seems to get better with each release, and 1920 is no exception.  This may just be my favorite regular bottling of Old Forester.  It’s rich and intense, and priced just right at about $60.  The high proof adds a slight brightness to the Old Forester flavor profile, while at the same time gives us a richer bourbon.  Very well done.  8.5/10

Thanks to Brown-Forman for the sample!  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Brandy Cask Finish Review

Image courtesy of Woodford Reserve


The annual Master’s Collection release sees Morris playing around with different aspects of the whiskey making process. Most notably, he’s utilized secondary maturation, or finishing, with different barrels.  The eleventh entry in the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection might just be my favorite of the past several releases.  It starts as fully matured Woodford Reserve bourbon that sees a two-year second maturation in American brandy casks.  The company is quick to point out this release isn’t a bourbon, but a finished whiskey.  Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris says, “Among Woodford Reserve’s many flavors include fruit and spice notes which the brandy emphasize.  Both products showcase rich, intense vanilla notes from their barrel maturation making the combination of the two a true success.”

The wonderful nose features hints of cream soda, caramelized sugar, berries, and madagascar vanilla bean with a touch of sweet corn in the background.  It’s a departure from the standard Woodford Reserve style, feeling a bit rounder and more vanilla-heavy.  The palate follows the nose rather closely, with rich cream soda, berries and caramel.  There is a slight anise note, along with cinnamon spice and drying oak.  The finish is medium length, and features light brown sugar, vanilla and astringent oak.

As I wrote at the beginning of this post, this year’s Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection release is my favorite of recent releases.  I think the synergy of the spicy bourbon and fruity brandy cask work beautifully.  It’s rich cream soda-like flavor is something I rarely get in a bourbon, and when I do it’s not as intense as it is here.  Its bottled at 90.4 proof and costs about $100 a bottle.  Very nice.  8.5/10

Thanks to Brown-Forman for the sample!  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Booker’s Bourbon Batch 2016-05 “Off Your Rocker” Review

Photo credit: Booker’s Bourbon


As autumn hits us, so does a new batch of Booker’s bourbon.  The fifth batch of 2016, “Off Your Rocker,” references both late Jim Beam Master Distiller Booker Noe’s favorite chair and his lively personality.  A statue of Booker sitting in a rocking chair can be found on the grounds of the Jim Beam distillery.  As for the man himself, he was known as a straight shooter and a funny guy.  I just started reading a new book about Booker’s life – “The Big Man of Jim Beam” by Jim Kokoris.  So far, it’s a great read about an interesting, larger-than-life man.  I’ll share some thoughts on the book soon.  In the meantime, let’s talk about the whiskey.

Booker’s bourbon is always bottled at barrel strength.  This batch comes in at a high 129.7 proof.  The youngest barrels in this batch are 6 years, 7 months, 23 days old, and all barrels come from four different rack houses.

One thing that’s common among all batches of Booker’s is a big vanilla note.  “Off Your Rocker” is no exception.  Buttered corn grits, vanilla and molasses play big on the nose.  That high proof is evident on entry at first, ever so slightly numbing the tongue.   Your sense of taste quickly recovers and experiences big vanilla, cornbread, and cinnamon & allspice notes alongside some oak, roasted peanuts and a touch of leather.  I’ve never detected leather as a tasting note in Booker’s until now.   (After several tastings it’s still there.) The finish is long and warm, as expected, and carries caramel corn and oak notes.

I’ve said before that I’ve never encountered a batch of Booker’s I didn’t like.  Sure, on the surface they all have that Booker’s flavor profile.  Dig a little deeper and you can find some nuances that differ from batch to batch.  Most batches I like, and some batches I really like.  Batch 2016-05 falls in the latter category.  The subtleties here make it slightly more intriguing than previous batches.  Pick up a bottle and let me know what you think.  Highly recommend.  9/10

Thanks to Booker’s Bourbon for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.