Old Forester 1897 Bottled In Bond Bourbon

Having finished this Bottled-in-Bond, I'll have completed Old Forester's "year-themed" quartet. I found the other three quite pleasing, with Old Forester Prohibition standing out as the best. My experience suggests a connection between quality, ABV, and enjoyment, so this expression should be solid. Nose: Sweet notes of brown sugar, caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Hints of toasted almond and macadamia. Reminiscent of banana walnut muffin. Dried apricot and raisin notes emerge. I detected pipe smoke, cocoa, and sawdust. Orange peel and black tea appear. There's a mineral character, like Flintstone Vitamins. Apple and honey are present. Spices include cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, black pepper, and oak. Palate: Gala apple dominates. Vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, and toffee are noticeable. Macadamia and toasted almond flavors are present. Tastes like Cinnamon Apple Jacks and Cornflakes. Flintstone’s Vitamin flavor. The banana walnut muffin note is subtle, more in the background. Dried apricot and raisin linger. A hint of black cherry. Light pipe smoke and black tea are detected. Black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and oak round it out. Finish: Gala apple returns. Cinnamon Apple Jacks flavor. Flintstone Vitamins. Pronounced black cherry. Dried apricot, raisin. Banana walnut muffin notes. Almond and macadamia are present. Vanilla, brown sugar, toffee, caramel flavors. Black tea, pipe smoke, black pepper, orange peel. Spices of cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. The finish is lengthy. This is a truly enjoyable whiskey. As anticipated, the increased proof is a welcome feature. The Old Forester profile tends to be a bit sweet, and the proof's warmth along with barrel spice offer a fine counterpoint. It's definitely a worthwhile purchase for $50. While not reaching Prohibition levels, it matches the other offerings in the series. I'm giving the BiB a 4.25/5. Old Forester has delivered a fantastic and reasonably priced range. Well done to them.

This is the final tasting from the bottle, enjoyed neat in a grappa glass. The nose of this polished walnut liquid is sweet, with caramel, waxy crayons, burnt sugar, and a slight ethanol presence. These notes rest on a foundation of cherry cough drops. It's moderately complex, appealing, and inviting, but not particularly exceptional. On the palate, it's slightly drier than the 1910. It lacks the sweetness and richness of that expression, which is my current favorite from the Old Forester Whiskey Row series. Nevertheless, it possesses its own distinct sweetness, well-balanced by oak, barrel char, and a hint of woody bitterness. The finish is of moderate length, fading into a dry, oaky smolder with black pepper. I've sampled this neat, on ice, and in several cocktails. It truly shone in an Old Fashioned, especially with a touch of Luxardo cherry syrup as the sweetener. It performs quite well in most whiskey-forward, stirred cocktails. Perhaps that's where its limitations lie. At nearly $55, it's not twice as good as Wild Turkey 101 or Knob Creek. It serves well as a cocktail whiskey, but its price places it alongside premium sipping spirits that offer greater complexity and a richer experience. The 1897 is a decent spirit, but not outstanding.

It's interesting that this is essentially the same as the 90 proof single barrel, but slightly more intense and spirited. Nose: Brown sugar, molasses, chili flakes, oak, and leather. Palate: The entry is pleasant, falling between silky and velvety, with brown sugar, vanilla, oak, baking spices, chili flakes, bitter walnut-like notes, and a bit of heat. Finish: Long, slightly bittersweet with a spicy smolder. I enjoy this slightly more than the 90 proof single barrel, but not enough to rate it higher. Edit 6/8/25 Revisited this in a flight of Old Forester expressions, and it truly stood out. No new flavor notes, but it significantly surpassed the 90 proof single barrel. The aroma was much more assertive than during the previous tasting. I selected this as my preferred dram of the evening over the single barrel select, 1910, and 1920. Increased rating by 1/4 point.

On the nose, a prominent note of caramel apple. It's warm and spicy. The apple flavor is noticeable; while it's described as 'red apple,' I perceive it more as green apple with a hint of alcohol. On the palate: It's warm, and the green apple dominates, softening to an oily sweet middle, leading to a spicy, slightly musty finish. A bit of the proof emerges at the end, but the apple note persists throughout. There's almost a butterscotch sweetness before the heat. The apple is very strong, yet it's delicious and intense. The fruity note lightens it considerably, but it certainly possesses that aged bourbon character. Very pleasing and somewhat complex; a nice pour!

Nose: Quite standard, with oak, vanilla, and honey providing the main notes. Faint hints of baking spices and oak. Palate: The nose translates reasonably well. There's a slight tang at the finish that I don't particularly enjoy. Otherwise, it's a fairly balanced and solid whisky. Finish: Short to medium length with a decent mouthfeel. Honey is the dominant flavor I detect. Overall: A respectable mid-tier whisky that delivers classic bourbon flavors. The primary drawback is its higher price compared to many similar whiskies, which reduces its attractiveness.

This was part of a whiskey tasting set. The aroma initially presents as a generous collection of sweet fruits, then shifts to a scent reminiscent of a well-known distillery, finally diminishing with a touch of alcohol burn. The fruity flavors persist onto the palate, accompanied by a subtle spice and wood character, and a faint medicinal undertone. The fruit essence remains prominent throughout the experience, even after swallowing. Although this isn't the Old Forester I prefer most, it's absolutely not a criticism of this particular bottle. It's a solid, fruit-driven bourbon that I am definitely content to enjoy.