The Bourbon Review: Old Forester 86 Proof

Created by George Garvin Brown in 1870 and named after Dr William Forrester, a prominent surgeon in Louisville, Kentucky who was a consistent buyer of George Brown’s whiskey.

In the 1800’s whiskey was still the major domestic  anaesthetic in the US and was often prescribed as something to pep you up when you felt unwell or even to use as a tranquilizer.

Another of George Brown’s friends, Dr James Holloway complained that much whiskey of the time was very inconsistent. In fact he and Dr Forester agreed that any brand available should be consistently of the highest quality that could prescribed to patients.

George Brown was determined to make that vision a reality and so he blended every drop of Old Forester himself from whiskies supplied by three distilleries….Mattingly, Mellwood and Atherton.

The whiskey was sold in clear glass bottles so his customers could see what they were getting and he signed each bottle personally to guarantee the quality. Back then it was bottled at 45%/90 proof.

In 1897 to comply with the bottled in bond act the proof was raised to 100 proof and to comply with the requirement that a bourbon must come from one distillery and one distilling season Brown purchased the Mattingly Distillery in 1901

Old Forester 86 was launched in 1959 to provide a lighter bodied bourbon for the growing cocktail culture of the time and has remained in production ever since.

You can watch the full You Tube review here:

Old Forester 86 proof $24

Nose: A lot of caramel sauce upfront with vanilla beans, cherry, peach melba and red apple. Some candied ginger, cinnamon and just a hint of acetone giving away it’s youthfulness (sweet & fruity nose)

Palate: Quite a good mouthfeel. Immediately you are hit with white pepper, floral grain alcohol, light oak and corn syrup. A light caramel note with banana, red apples and some cherry. Becomes a little astringent towards the end.

Finish: Short to medium length. Quite dry, oaky and just a touch of cask char.

Score: 4 out of 10

Overall: Great nose, palate struggles to match it and gives away its youth with some pronounced alcohol notes. Decent but better available at the price point. 

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