Another big gap in American whiskey is anything and everything from the Brown-Forman Corporation. An American spirits company founded in 1870, Brown-Forman has been privately owned its entire existence. During Prohibition the corporation held one of six national licenses for the distilling of 'medicinal' whiskey and was able to thrive during that otherwise troubling time for the industry. The company's biggest products are Jack Daniel's (more on that sometime soon), Woodford Reserve, and one of my favorite Bourbon brands, Old Forester. They also own a few Scotch distilleries, two of which I've written up, Glendronach and Glenglassaugh, and some other booze names as well (wine, vodka, tequila, etc.). The focus here will be Old Forester.
Old Forester goes back to the beginning with Brown-Forman and was first made available back in 1870. It's the longest continuously available Bourbon brand and was the first to be exclusively sold in sealed bottles. Prior to Prohibition Old Forester was the most important product for Brown-Forman, though today its sales are dwarfed by Jack Daniel's, one of the most popular whiskies in the world. Old Forester whiskey is currently made at the Brown-Forman distillery in Shively, Kentucky, just outside Louisville, and at Old Forester Distilling Co. in historic downtown Louisville, in the same building it was made 100+ years ago. The two are only about 20 minutes apart. If visiting is of interest, it seems Old Forester Distilling downtown is the place to go and they have a couple tour options.
As far as I can tell all Old Forester Bourbons have the same mash-bill and there are quite a few expressions available. If you're interested in the details, it's made from 72% corn (needs to be 50+% to be labeled as Bourbon), 18% rye and 10% malted barley. There's nothing crazy about these percentages one way or another. The standard Old Forester is 86 proof and cheap (<$25). They also have a somewhat new 100 proof version (the 'Signature', ~$25) and a Rye (different mash-bill of course, ~$25) on the lower end. I don't have strong opinions on any of these. Where I think Old Forester really shines in the mid tier, like $40-$60. This is where their 'Whiskey Row' fits along with Old Forester 'Statesmen' (a cross-promotion with the second Kingsmen movie), which I've heard good things about. On the high end is Old Forester 'Birthday Bourbon,' a special yearly release that's become an aggressively sought and overly expensive commodity. I can't imagine I'll ever pay up for one, if I ever even see it.
Just a bit more on that 'Whiskey Row' Series, because that's where our subject, the Old Forester 1920 originates. Whiskey Row is a street (101-133 W Main) in downtown Louisville that is/was home to a number of distilleries and is considered the heart of distilling in Louisville. About ten years ago Old Forester started a new line of more premium whiskies to pay homage to both their location and a number of important dates over their nearly 150 years of history. The first made available, in 2014, was the 1870 'Original Batch' (90 proof, ~$45) mimicking how Old Forester was made back when the company got started. In 2015 they released two more: the 1897 'Bottled-in-Bond' (100 proof, ~$50) honoring the Bottled-in-Bond Act and the 1920 'Prohibition Style' (115 proof, ~$60) recreating higher proofing as occurred during the Volstead Act (this is pretty funny to me). One more was added in 2018, the 1910 'Old Fine Whiskey' (93 proof, ~$55), recalling a fire necessitating secondary barreling and resulting in some accidental, and lovely, flavors. I haven't had the 1870 but have greatly enjoyed all three of the others and can recommend the line across the board. If lower proof Bourbons are your thing, you have to try the 1910. I tend toward higher proofs so for me it's going to be the 1920, at least for today.
ABV - 57.5% (115 proof)
Mash - 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley
Maturation - new charred American oak (have to assume)
Age - no age statement
Location - Louisville (or Shively), Kentucky
Price - $60 (often closer to $70 out east)
Tasting Notes:
Nose - Smells very strong, boozy, burnt
Color - Dark, copper-ish (color added perhaps)
Taste - Woody, caramel sweetness (some fruit too?), rye spices and more
Finish - You feel this one, coats your mouth, long sweet and spicy burn
Final Thoughts:
This is big and bold and knocks your socks off. That's not for everyone, I know. There's nothing crazy happening here with the process or the resulting flavor profile (e.g. it's not heavy on the rye, it's not overly sweet etc.). But overall it's got oodles of complexity, good age and is very well made. I like it a lot.
The best part: unlike so many more popular whiskeys you can find this, and at about $60 that's a wonderful thing. It's worth that price all day long. Remember, the 1897 (100 proof, bottled-in-bond) and the 1910 (93 proof, double-barreled) are both exceptional as well and may suit your palate better. The key lesson is give something from the Old Forester Whiskey Row Series a try, you shan't regret it.
Cheers!
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