Review #13: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style

Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky. As indicated on the bottle, it's bottled at 115 proof as an ode to the barrel entry proof for prohibition-era medicinal whiskey, though note that this wouldn't have been the barrel proof at the conclusion of aging, nor the bottling proof, which would have most likely been 50% for bonded medicinal whiskey. So, that's a bit silly, but thanks, Old Forester, for the relatively affordable and fairly high-proof bourbon to enjoy!

This was my first bourbon that comes in at or over this price, and I'd say it lives up to the price pretty well due to the high proof and enjoyability. I daresay it's even pretty different flavor-wise in the realm of bourbons compared to the general sameness of the flavor landscape of caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, cherry, and oak flavors you get in most common bottles at lower prices -- not that there's anything wrong with that! -- and the more distinct notes are part of why I enjoyed this one so much.

Most bourbons these days spell it "whiskey", though interestingly the laws in the US (namely the Standards of Identity for distilled spirits) spell it "whisky". I like to believe the choice of the spelling "whisky" on Old Forester labels is an ode to the older times, since Old Forester has been distilling and bottling since before prohibition and continued operating through prohibition.

(Sample provided by my tasting companion for a remote tasting.)

Name: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style

Distiller/Brand Owner: Brown-Foreman

Mashbill: 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley

Strength: 115 proof / 57.5% ABV

Age: NAS straight bourbon; therefore, at least 4 years old

Color: 1.2 chestnut

Mental Image: "Spaghetti western" whiskey

TL;DR: Concessions at the County Fair

Nose: Sweet with a hint of acidity over the top. Buttered movie theater popcorn. Caramel corn. Slight rye spice and grassiness. Hints of candied lemon peel and overripe banana. Distant marshmallow. A bit of vanilla and crème brûlée topping (just-charred brown sugar). I half expected to find vanilla custard and funnel cake, but despite the buttery notes, those really fatty/creamy elements are not quite there.

Palate: Drinks way below its proof, very nice. Medium mouthfeel; unremarkable but pleasing. Right after sipping, there's a splash of bubblegum across the tongue which fades quickly. Bitter pecan in the mid-front of the palate. Toasty wood (*). There's a bit of rye spice and pine resin. Hint of marshmallow/peeps and sugar dust (like in a bag of Big League Chew). With a few drops of water: the sweetness comes forward more and the rest spreads apart nicely. The bubblegum flavor is more obvious, confectioner's sugar across the mid-back of the tongue, and some Cracker Jack. Wintery meat spices appear: cloves with a hint of sage.

Finish: The wood from the palate (*) continues through and evolves quickly into fennel on the finish. It gets a bit more savory. Wintery comfort food like a holiday meat hand-pie (except the meat): sweet with savory spices (fennel, sage) and buttery (as in the crust). A bit of astringent bitterness creeps in.

Afternose (as the glass is drying): Slightly oversteeped black tea with honey and lemon

Overall: I find this really enjoyable compared to many bourbons. This was an instant favorite and remains my favorite (attainable) bourbon tasted so far. Sweet and savory elements are both present but they aren't at war; they come in waves throughout the experience of the drink. "Concessions at the County Fair" sums this up really nicely -- all the big flavor notes are things you'd walk around with on the fairgrounds. There's a lot of sweetness here but that's balanced nicely by a threading of savory nuts, butter, and spices. My tasting companion remarked that the very high proof might make this less accessible to those less experienced with neat spirits, which is true -- the nicely balanced sweet and savory elements would likely be hidden in a cocktail and the strength of a neat pour might put some people off, even though it drinks easy for experienced sippers. My take is that higher proof isn't always a good thing for all people, but it can elevate the strength of flavor and complexity, and in this case it does. This is downright pleasant to sip compared to the lower-proof (108.6) but very oaky Wild Turkey Rare Breed.

Rating: 84/100 - a cut above, very enjoyable, almost reaches "tremendously enjoyable"

Price: Retails for $54.99 + taxes in WA. (I do not own this bottle.)

Value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 - absolutely, quite excellent for the price, and would like to own a bottle

Rating Scale: 96+: Nectar of the Gods (1 in 50) | 90+: All Time Favorite (1 in 20) | 85+: Excellent, tremendously enjoyable | 80+: A cut above | 75+: A solid, well constructed whisky | 70+: Slightly deficient in some way | 60+: Multiple deficiencies | 50+: Poor | 30: Unenjoyable straight | 10: Shots only | 9-: Undrinkable

Value out of 5 - would I buy this again at the given price? - 0 no | 1 meh | 2 maybe | 3 sure | 4 yes | 5 absolutely