Opus for Old Forester! Jack Rose Old Forester Tasting
Background
It's the second week of a three-Sunday tasting run for me at Jack Rose! Last week was dustys from the 1970s. This week, we're tackling Jack Roses’ two new Old Forester picks. This tasting also presents a Grade A opportunity to finally review Old Forester 1924, which I've been mindlessly drinking and searching for the right framing and mindset to review it. As usual with these reviews we’ll hop right in!
Old Forester 1910 (NAS, 93 Proof)
Nose: Smores! Everything that comes with it, graham, chocolate, toasted marshmallows.
Palate: Getting more of the same. Graham, chocolate, but also some molasses. Also fairly wood driven. It’s a little more wood-y than I remember from past experiences.
Finish: That dark, molasses note hangs around. Alongside it is a nice bit of spice. Cloves, anise, and black pepper. Again, there is a steady drumbeat of wood.
Good (5/10)
Overall: Checks notes this is my first time reviewing 1910? Apparently! Far from my first time having it. It remains a fairly enjoyable pour and a reason why the Old Forester Whiskey Row series is a consistent recommendation for me when people ask about good bourbon they can actually find.
Old Forester 1924 (10 Years, 100 Proof)
Nose: Leathery funk, overripe cherries, hints of artificial melon and orange peel.
Palate: It has a fair amount going on for a 100 proof whiskey. Brown sugar, hints of leather, cocktail oranges, a dash of cherry. It's a tough whiskey to pin down.
Finish: Cinnamon and citrus zest, toasted oak, pipe tobacco, solidly long and rich.
Great (7/10)
Overall: A brief aside on this whiskey. Typically, a whiskey opening up is largely considered a good thing. I have actually had a bottle of this open for about a month, drinking it down and waiting to review it. When I first opened it I was THRILLED. I was ready to write about it like I did Jacob's Well, as a landmark new offering from a major distillery. Instead, as the bottle has opened up it's slightly fallen off for me. The pop of rich flavor I picked up at first has dropped, leading to a thinner palate than I’d ideally want when I’ve had it subsequently.
Old Forester Jack Rose/Premier Drams Pick (NAS, 100 Proof)
Nose: Banana pudding, and I fucking love banana pudding, along with a pop of lemon zest.
Palate: Lemon drops, the citrus builds from the nose. There's still some vanilla, but it’s moved to the background, and the occasional delicate red fruit.
Finish: Still lemon forward, like lemonhead candies. Drops off a little quick, but it’s still an enjoyable citrus zest and a dash of pepper.
Great to Excellent (7.5/10)
Overall: Ah what a lovely, effervescent pour. Bright, fruity, with this fun citrus pop. I swear I wrote this, and Chris, the lead whiskey advisor at Jack Rose, said something similar- which is a minor point of pride. This is just a lovely antidote to proof chasing. Trust me when I say I love my strong stuff, but proof does not equal flavor. There are times when dilution truly brings out the best in a barrel.
Old Forester District of Columbia Pick (NAS, 131.8 Proof)
Nose: Dark sugars, espresso beans, hazelnut spread. A robust and fairly inviting nose, which is good because…
Palate: The heat starts to build here. There’s chocolate covered nuts, espresso, and then a rough, unbalanced spicy heat.
Finish: Coca-cola and cinnamon red hots. Hot hot heat.
Sub-par (4/10)
Overall: A crescendo of burn. Old Forester remains the number 1 distillery for me where you MUST trust the picker. They have barrels floating around that definitely need to enter a blend or be proofed down.
Old Forester Jack Rose/Premier Drams SBBS Pick (NAS, 132.1 Proof)
Nose: Custard-y, lemon zest, a light graham cracker note. By graham cracker I mean it has a fun, vague, toasted golden cinnamon sugar thing.
Palate: Natural, pucker you up lemon. Let's actually go lemon meringue. A dash of cinnamon sugar.
Finish: Tannic, it has a fun Warheads-esque pull at the palate. Long and mouth watering with a fun citrus zing. Toasted oak and crushed red pepper.
Great (7/10)
Overall: It's a fun pour. I won't lie. The rub lies in comparing it to the 100 proof pick. This might be a set and setting problem. Writing notes at this tasting, it's 65 and sunny, which makes for a tough environment to not steer towards the more approachable, 100 proof option.
