I will admit it. I am a HUGE Old Forester fanboy. Every expression, from their 86 proof “standard” bourbon through the Birthday releases and the President’s Choice, there has not been an expression I haven’t liked. With that said, their Single Barrel releases are interesting because they are barrel picks by restaurants, bars, and stores. I am sure the product is solid and may be “immune” to a bad pick, but being 100% dependent upon someone other than the distiller can be a bit scary. I am counting on the pure quality of the OF products to make this solid.
I have two different picks I am blind testing: One was selected by Bourbon Scouts and fulfilled through the Angier, NC ABC store. The other was selected by Century Grand in Phoenix, AZ. I met the person who selected the barrel for Century Grand/Grey Hen and his palate is amazing and knowledge unsurpassed. That isn’t to say that those in Bourbon Scouts who picked theirs aren’t as good. Hence the blind test.
Two glencairn neat pours, breathed for about 5 minutes. Both are 90 proof.
Sample A: Nose has great caramel notes, underlying oak and smokiness. Catching some fruit notes as well.
Palate: Great grassy and wheat flavors on the first sip. Nice slight hug after swallowing. More than I would think for a 90 proofer. Nice oily mouthfeel, so this one has a little bit of age to it. Second sips opens up some cinnamon and those fruits on the nose become more apparent with dark cherry leading the way.
Finish: As I said, very nice hug after swallowing with the oak and some slight char. Finish is not the longest I have had, but it gradually dissipates and lingers nicely, revealing more smokiness.
Overall: Solid, solid pour. Easily and everyday drinker.
Sample B: Nose is much sweeter than sample A. Candy corn, molasses, MUCH more cherry. Between the two noses, sample B is the clear winner to me.
Palate: A little thinner than sample A. Very oaky, but gives my lips a little burn that sample A didn’t give. The hug is not as apparent either. It is a little thinner than sample A. Subsequent sips reveal that sample B is not as complex as sample A. Cinnamon notes on the tip of my tongue, but oaky and smokey. Not saying it is bad, just very oak forward. Given the slight thinness, kind of surprised at the heavy oak and smoke. Give sample A the win here.
Finish: Wow. Not what I was expecting given the straight forward palate. Nice chocolate covered cherries, a little leather and grain notes. Doesn’t last as long as sample A, but has much more complexity. B wins this one, but not by a ton.
Tough call. The nose on B was the clear winner and the palate on A wins. The finish was almost a tie. There has to be a winner, and sample A is the one. Sample A was the Century Grand pick while B was the Angier ABC group.
Both are great and not surprised at that. Old Forester, in my opinion, is making some of the best out there and these two don’t change my mind.