Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2015

Nose: A sweet entrance reminiscent of a candy shop, with watermelon Jolly Ranchers, cherry pie, and newly finished furniture. There are also sweet melon fruits, like honey dew and cantaloupe. The aroma is syrupy, like a caramel glaze with moist brown sugars—more refined than I expected, given the batching of these barrels and bottling at 100 proof. Deeper nosing reveals vanilla, sweet baking spices, some walnut, and wood notes that are not typical oak; they are sweeter and quite toasty. Banana, buttery croissants, and subtle, light acetone notes, possibly from the furniture polish, are also present. Overall, a very pleasing nose. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Palate: The initial aroma is misleading concerning the rest of this bourbon. A fleeting sweetness from the nose teases but disappears rapidly, giving way to acetonic furniture and nail polish, followed by bitter barrel char, tobacco spices, and cigar smoke. While I appreciate these notes, the acetone is overly dominant and harsh. The mouthfeel is surprisingly light, with spice starting mild to medium halfway through the palate, after which everything becomes dry, which is a positive. White and black cracked pepper, some grape juice, and vanilla weave through the bitterness of the barrel char, and the acetone notes persist to the conclusion. Black pepper spice remains on the tip of your tongue, and the dryness evolves into a menthol sensation at the back. The palate is, at best, medium in body, not oily, with some interestingly robust and distinct characteristics that define this expression. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Finish: Thick, chewy, and medium-long. Viscous caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, and toffee coat your tongue as if drenched. Layers of warm spices permeate every corner of your mouth. Tobacco leaf, cigar, and substantial smoky notes are present. Bitterness from the barrel exists but is only a fading memory. Sweet oak, dark chocolate, and black coffee provide a well-rounded conclusion, with a final hint of the acetonic polish notes that accompanied the entire experience. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Bourbon and House Rating: 89 _______________________________________________

I typically align with the reviews here and from the critical community, sometimes differing in ways that make sense due to my specific taste preferences (Islay Scotches consistently receive high marks from me, unlike the general consensus). However, occasionally I encounter a spirit that truly baffles me. In some instances, I cannot comprehend why it's rated so low compared to my assessment (consider Old Forester 1920 on this site, as just one example). At other times, I don't understand the widespread admiration for a whiskey after I've sampled it (apologies to the Octomore line!). Old Forester Birthday falls into the latter category for me. It is almost universally lauded, so I was eager to try a tasting flight of the 2015, 2016, and 2017 releases. I finished the tasting thinking, are we all discussing the same bourbon? The distillery accurately describes this bourbon as having "robust" or extreme oakiness due to its aging process, but in my opinion, it doesn't result in a positive outcome. On the nose, I immediately detect that resinous, bitter oak characteristic of heavily wooded (or overly wooded) bourbons, though it is balanced by a concentrated vanilla and butterscotch combination. At times, some burnt brown sugar emerges. Unfortunately, the remainder of the experience does not live up to the aroma. The overwhelming oak has muted many of the sweet, dessert-like flavors I associate with rich, well-aged bourbons. The most accurate tasting note is almost "splinters" — it's simply a harsh, significant dose of oak that is not in harmony with the faint, simple syrup-like sweetness struggling to be noticed. Furthermore, there was a raw rye flavor that I did not enjoy, lacking any accompanying fruit or caramel. That oakiness is also the prominent feature of the relatively brief finish, although I did appreciate some cherry-like notes towards the end. I'm sorry, but I don't see the reason for its high rating. I would honestly prefer drinking Devil's Cut, which is intensely woody but also costs a quarter of the price or less.

Was looking forward to experiencing this particular bourbon for the first time, given its high demand. Perhaps not as sought-after as some other special releases, but you get the idea. Distinct cherry notes are present, but I was shocked by the powerful acetone aromas when I brought the glass to my nose. After letting the bottle rest for a month, the acetone notes (on both the nose and the palate) have lessened. It no longer has the flavor of cherry-flavored paint thinner. I will try this bourbon again later to see if it has improved, but so far, it has been a significant (and expensive) letdown. [Edit: rating increased to two stars... it's starting to taste like bourbon, but the journey is part of whiskey, so we'll see how it develops].

This is a good whiskey, but given the buzz, I expected better balance. It's excessively sweet, though otherwise good. Nose: Roasted nuts, vanilla, heavy brown sugar, and leather. Flavor: Toasted pecans, more leather, heavily caramelized sugars to the point of being a bit too sweet, baking spices, abundant vanilla. It had an excellent oily mouthfeel that I really enjoyed. Considering the proof, the alcohol presence was very subdued. Finish: Spice and leather with some alcohol warmth. Not as long as anticipated but sufficient. Strangely, the finish was quite dry after such a sweet nose and initial flavor. Overall, it's worth trying a taste if you can find it, but I wouldn't pay above the suggested retail price, especially seeing bottles at secondary markets for $300 or more.

Nose: Aged oak; vanilla; fresh greenery; caramel; maple syrup; dark cola; freshly ground pepper. Palate: Cherry cola at first; sawdust; green apple; fresh greenery; caramel; dark chocolate. Finish: A long, chewy finish; caramel; root beer sweetness; fresh green greenery; nutty notes; caramel. Yum. Delightful stuff. The aroma is quite potent and bold for 100 proof, featuring a lovely fresh greenery note. Plenty of oak, rounded out by dark cola and maple syrup. The palate is where this truly excels. A pleasant cherry cola start, quickly followed by green apples, then fresh greenery again with deep caramel on the back end. The finish is extended with a chewy texture, revealing root beer sweetness along with more greenery, some nuts, and more caramel. Wonderful, distinctive spirit.

This evening I sampled this 2015 alongside the 2016. Both were excellent, and honestly, I debated which one I liked more. Ultimately, I chose the 2015 by a small margin. The scent immediately presented spearmint and then caramel apple, somewhat like the smell of an Amaro. The taste is amazing. Intense caramel with a hint of banana foster in the background. Later, honey appeared, and I eventually detected some tobacco. A single drop of water revealed some black pepper. I wouldn't add water to this one (unlike the 2016). It has a bit more intricacy and spice depth. Glad I got to taste it.