During my past few runs to the liquor store, I’ve found myself mixing up my selection. The norm is for me to run in and grab our normal daily drinker and browse through the available stock to see what else catches my eye. Recently, I needed to grab only two bottles. A large 1.75l of something and one other reasonably priced bottle we haven’t tried yet. Our 1.75l selection was Old Forester Signature 100 bourbon.
This isn’t our first bottle of Old Forester Signature 100. When I started expanding my taste for whiskey, Old Forester Signature 100 was one of the first expansion bottles I tried. For a while, I purchased it rather regularly. The only reason I got away from drinking it was that I discovered Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond and often chose that bottle since the price is about $10 lower than the Old Forester Signature 100. Since we enjoy whiskey regularly and often experiment with cocktail creations, I simply chose a more budget-friendly option.
That’s not to say that Old Forester Signature 100 will break your bank. In my local liquor store, a 1.75l bottle retails for $38. It is still less expensive than a 1.75l from the big brands such as Jim Beam and Jack Daniels. The cost of marketing is often reflected in the price of the bottle rather than the quality of the whiskey inside. In a nutshell, don’t select whiskey based on the price alone or you’ll likely be disappointed.
Old Forester
Old Forester Whiskey was created by George Garvin Brown. Brown was a pharmaceutical salesman who purchased whiskey from nearby distilleries and sold it as medicine. Although the medicinal properties of whiskey are somewhat questionable, Brown figured out he had a desirable product.
One factor that made Brown’s Old Forester whiskey different was that it was the first whiskey to be bottled and sealed. A lot of whiskeys were shipped and sold by the barrel. If you needed more, you simply took a jug to the local distiller/farmer and he filled your jug straight from the barrel. Brown’s decision to sell individual bottles caught on quickly.
A big problem with whiskey in the 2nd half of the 19th century was its less-than-stellar quality. A number of distillers would color grain alcohol using a variety of means such as tobacco, or burnt sugar to obtain a rich caramel color. Selling sealed bottles of whiskey helped ensure consumers that their whiskey contained only the highest quality ingredients.
Impact of the Bottled-in-Bond Act
George Garvin Brown quickly adopted the standards set by the new Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 requirements following its adoption into law. Brown increased the proof of his whiskey from 90 to 100 proof following the introduction of the law. He then began plans to acquire his own distillery in order to produce whiskey in a single distillery, as required by the act.
Prior to the early 1900s, Brown sourced his bourbon from three distilleries. In 1901, he completed the purchase of the Mattingly Distillery, one of the distilleries he had previously sourced his whiskey from. Brown also continued to market his whiskey as medicine. The following generated by Old Forester as a cure-all elixir enabled the brand to stay alive during prohibition. Old Forester was one of only six companies whose whiskeys were able to be sold by prescription after the passage of the 18th amendment.
Today, the Brown Family owns over 70% of the shares of Old Forester’s parent company Brown-Forman. Included in their portfolio is the best-selling whiskey in the world, Jack Daniels. Given my love of Jack, and the modest number of Brown-Forman shares I own, it makes sense why I jumped to Old Forester as I began my wider foray into the world of whiskey.
Old Forester Signature 100
Old Forester Signature 100 is “hand-picked from select barrels.” It is a No Age Statement (NAS) whiskey, but a number of sources estimate it is likely around 4 years old. The mash bill is 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley.
Old Forester Signature 100 has received a number of awards. In 2019, they received the International Spirits Challenge Gold Medal for the best Straight Bourbon 10 Years and Younger and the Whiskeys of the World Gold.
According to the Old Forester site, you’ll notice coffee, chocolate, licorice, and butterscotch on the nose. The tasting notes include ripe apples, sweet fruit, baking spices, and toasted oak. The finish is described as sweet and light, with noticeable apple and oak flavors.
Tasting Notes
Alie said it was delicious because “that’s about where her brain is at” as she continued to work well past the normal end of her day. After adding a little water and disconnecting from her email, Alie noticed chocolate on the nose. Alie tasted the sweet fruit and the savory baking spice notes on the palate. After some sipping, I pointed out that there is a touch of banana flavor. Alie remarked that she understood what I meant, but in the way one might describe seltzer. Basically, it “tastes like static while someone in the other room gently whispers a fruit flavor that you notice every so slightly.” Maybe?
On the nose, I noticed fruit, tobacco, and a touch of wood. I picked up a bit of anise, which might explain the licorice aroma, but they aren’t quite the same to me. I noticed apple and sweet fruit flavor in the whiskey, followed by a dry, woody taste. The fruit flavor leaned ever so slightly toward banana for me. The finish was more intense than the description, but that might have been just me. The roof of my mouth is torn up from eating a bag of Jolly Ranchers today. After a few sips, my mouth was pleasantly numb and the Old Forester Signature 100 went down smoothly.
Our Ratings
Drinkability: 4
Personal Preference: 4
Intensity: 3.6
Beginner Friendly: 3.5
Availability: 5
Overall: 4
Final Thoughts
Old Forester Signature 100 is still one of my favorite bourbons and Alie seemed to agree with most of the rankings. It is one of those bourbons that hits hard with an intense finish on the first couple of sips before it mellows out. The finish is moderate in length and left a nice warm feeling in the back of my mouth and throat.
Old Forester Signature 100 is rich and sweet, with just a touch of oak. I find it to be a well-balanced bourbon that isn’t too sweet or too woody. We really enjoyed it in our Blueberry Mint Julep. You can find the recipe here.
Old Forester Signature is widely available and reasonably priced. We recommend you look for it at a retailer near you and add it to your collection if you haven’t already.
Happy Exploring!
