Distillery: Brown-Forman Shively Distillery
Proof: 100
Age: No Age Statement
Mashbill: 72% Corn, 18% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Color: Copper
Price: $30
Company
Brown-Forman is the company behind Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, and Jack Daniel’s (quite the portfolio). Old Forester is produced at the Brown-Forman Shively Distillery.
Production
Old Forester is one of the oldest brands in the game (1870) and was one of the few who acquired a medicinal whiskey license during Prohibition.
The Old Forester 100 expression is the older (higher proof) sibling of the “classic” Old Forester 86. It’s essentially the same thing, but richer and bolder.
Nose – 92/100
The nose is balanced with notes of rich caramel, oak, and a hint of coffee.
Palate – 90/100
Oak, caramel, and a hint of apple. The palate is thinner than the nose would indicate.
Finish – 88/100
The finish is long and a bit bitter with hints of pepper and oak.
Value – 92/100
This is a really solid bourbon for the $30 price point and is on my list of the best bourbons for beginners.
Verdict – 90.5/100
We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.
Scoring System:
- Platinum – 95+
- Gold – 90 – 94
- Silver – 80 – 89
- Bronze – <80
Hunter Branch is the Founder and Director of Editorial for Bourbon Inspector. He has been writing about and professionally reviewing bourbon since 2020 (and has been drinking it for much longer). He’s been able to interview big names in the bourbon industry like Trey Zoeller from Jefferson’s Bourbon and his work has been featured in publications like TastingTable, Mashed, and more.