Last summer was the polar opposite of this summer. We were adventuring. We were driving and traveling and going to concerts and eating out and having whiskies journeys all over the country. I had amazing times in Vancouver, Toronto, Boston, Iqaluit and Fredericton. Kind of feels like a different world.
2020 ain’t 2019. As we grind through this Lost Summer, here’s a noteworthy leftover from last year’s whisky odyssey. A bourbon direct from Kentucky. A border hopper from a time when that was possible.
Old Forester 1920 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 1920 refers to Prohibition, which is this bourbon’s claim to fame. The only whiskey produced before, during, and after the great booze black out, by being casked at 50% and called a medicine for 10 years. I do love a workaround.
A fantastic bourbon, well worth the drive. Here’s what we thought:
nose
Steve – maple, alcohol, can sip the fume
Dan – soft caramel, flowers, cedar, like cedar chest
Simon – leather bound book, cherrywood
Matt – cherry, pearl, apple, nice, banana
neat
Steve – mm wow! sweet, caramel, evaporates, edradour-ish
Dan – floats and then spicy, licorice, caramel (burnt)
Simon – marshmallow/cotton candy, flash
Matt – explosive, peachy, no sour, 9v
finish
Steve – cool burn
Dan – long, burn
Simon – burn, smoke, chest warm, apple
Matt – 9v burn
splash
Steve – no, bad, harsher & sweeter but bad
Dan – kind of caramelly, with light spice and light licorice
Simon – smoked honey liquor, burn
Matt – cuts sweet, less flavour, nice burn, more bitter
overall
Steve – 9.5/10
Dan – 7.5/10
Simon – 8.4/10
Matt – 8.5/10
Old Forester 1920 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – 57.5% 750ml – $75.25 – Kentucky
Try it? Yes. Buy it? Yes.
Its a decent, solid, dram. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, guys. Cheers, Ed