By Richard Thomas
Ranking: A-
(Credit score: Brown-Forman)
In some methods, the bourbon calendar is extra predictable than the actual passage of the seasons, particularly right here in Kentucky and within the period of local weather change. As we speak it’s dry and fairly nice exterior, however I don’t know if the following spherical of storms will convey with it a return to steamy, late summer season climate. In the meantime, I do know for sure the autumnal season of pink sizzling American whiskey releases is across the nook, as a result of Outdated Forester has dropped the 12 months’s Birthday Bourbon.
The 2024 Outdated Forester Birthday Bourbon is already distinctive in that it was bottled at 107 proof, which is the strongest ever bottling for the expression. The discharge was additionally attended by a sweepstakes, which noticed 1,000 fortunate contestants bypass the standard bother of bottle searching (or expense of paying market worth). They gained the correct to go to the Outdated Forester Distillery on Louisville’s Whiskey Row and purchase a bottle at MSRP. Previous that, the story of this 12 months’s tribute to George Garvin Brown is typical. Grasp Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris and Grasp Taster Melissa Rift hand-selected 209 barrels for the discharge, with all these bottles being 12 years or older. That’s half for the course for this expression, which is routinely center aged.
The Bourbon
The pour took a dulled, center amber look within the glass, and I might inform immediately that it was borderline on whether or not water ought to be added. I frankly discover the fever for consuming Hazmat whiskeys neat baffling (as focus bottles, they’re nice, however consuming one thing you could possibly run your weed whacker on neat?), however 107 proof is a spot the place possibly water is required and possibly it isn’t. As I left the glass on the desk to take some air, I detected a touch of warmth. Subsequent nosing confirmed it stayed there, however a touch of warmth will not be problematic. So, no water added to this bourbon.
The nostril was spice-forward, with the preliminary impression being very gingerbread earlier than sweet corn and caramel. Additional nosing developed that spicy present on the entrance into cloves, ginger and charred oak, with the candy aspect remaining fairly rooted in sweet corn and caramel, with just a little inexperienced apple thrown in. Most attention-grabbing is the trademark Outdated Forester banana observe is gone.
That spicy present morphs right into a herbaceous spiciness on the palate. The ginger observe continues, however now it’s tied to spearmint. That sits atop a syrupy , thick bourbon sweetness of molasses, vanilla and pipe tobacco. The end ran woody with an virtually meaty undertone, earlier than turning woody and spicy to fade away with.
The Value
The official worth for this 12 months’s Birthday Bourbon is $200.
