Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2016

As I mentioned when reviewing Birthday 2015, I recently sampled a flight of the '15, '16, and '17 vintages for a comparative experience. Regrettably, none of the three truly impressed me. It seems the Brown-Forman team approved of the 2015 release, leading them to select barrels for the 2016 version that received additional sun exposure near windows. The aromas emanating from this bourbon are incredible and distinctive: rich chocolate-covered raisins, guava, Fruit Roll-ups, and earthy tobacco seem to surge from the glass. However, this amplifies the exceptionally harsh and disappointing experience on the palate, a recurring issue with this flight. The oak is again excessive, accompanied by orchard fruits like unripe apples and notable astringency. Some of the aromas do appear on the palate, but they are faint, like background music, and I desperately wish they were more prominent. The finish offers no redemption; it's dry, astringent, and heavily favors rye characteristics. If forced to select one, the 2016 Birthday Bourbon is the superior choice among the three, albeit only slightly, primarily due to its remarkable aroma. I'm puzzled by these whiskies because I typically don't consider myself fond of sweet profiles, yet recent encounters with dry, aged bourbons have made me question that perception. These bourbons could benefit from a hint of sweetness! I'm also perplexed, having read glowing reviews for these bottles and wondering if we experienced the same whiskey.

Nose: A very pleasing aroma of oak, fruit, and vanilla; milk chocolate-covered dark caramels, butterscotch, a trace of juicy strawberries and orange zest, with an occasional sweet mint undertone. Palate: Dark, oaky vanilla caramels, a trace of orange zest, and a subtle sweetness, reminiscent of storing strawberry candies and a few Werther's Originals in a well-oiled vintage leather bag. Finish: A gentle, lingering cinnamon spice warmth, subtly oaky and drying, with a fading hint of sweet mint and fresh strawberries. Score: 90/100 Overall: The aroma is highly enjoyable, presenting a nice blend of fruity, buttery, caramel, oaky, and butterscotchy notes. As a fan of a certain 12-year-old expression, I appreciate the oakiness that persists from the scent through the conclusion (a result of maturation in new oak barrels, I presume). This spirit is best savored neat, as adding water or ice might diminish its delicate nuances. In a mixed drink, its subtle flavors would likely be completely masked, despite their presence.

Very smooth on the palate and finishes with caramel, nut bread, and vanilla. Delicious. If it had more body, it would be perfect, but it's a bit thin for my preference. My scale: 1 - I’m giving this away 2 - I’ll mix it, but doesn’t stand on its own 3 - Enjoyable, but I’m willing to try something new 4 - Very good, If it’s on the shelf or menu - I’m buying 5 - Greatness Achieved, this drink is worthy of collecting

Mash bill: 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley. Aged 12 years. Char level #4. (Brown Forman) Smells like mint (and something similar), butterscotch, and wood. I certainly notice the wood in this spirit. Butterscotch, vanilla, and caramel are also on the tongue, with some bitterness in the finish. Generally, this seems a bit watery to me, like all Old Forester products. That, plus the bitterness, really detracts from the overall taste and finish.

Smell: graham crackers, aged wood, vanilla, cherries, caramel Taste: graham crackers, milk chocolate raisins, cherry cola, banana bread, vanilla cream End: protracted sweet end with wood and spice appearing at the last moment Fantastic. It's that simple. This bourbon is amazing. Truly one of a kind and sweet. I haven't found a birthday bourbon I didn't like, and the 2016 version is just as good.

I keep my bourbons in the fridge; see my bourbon storage experiment on breakingbourbon.com. When it was cold, I initially detected a strong medicinal scent on the finish. Once it reached room temperature, wow. Incredibly sweet. Smells like bubblegum and sweetness, with oak/wood on the mid-palate, followed by a pleasant burn at the end. I'm very impressed with this one, but given the $99 price, I'd advise caution.