The Old Forester Signature is the grand son of the once beloved Old Forester Bottled in Bond; the Signature’s 100 proof bottling being a nod to that once classic dram. As a brand Old Forester has been around for over 140 years. They were one of the few brands that managed to grab a license to distill “medicinal” whiskey which means it’s not only been around for 140 years, but it can claim an unbroken history of distillation that entire time. Pretty neat ‘eh?
One of the things I found kind of peculiar about this bourbon was it’s reaction to air. When I first poured this bourbon it was rich and bold. Then the next day I came back and it was a little less so. It felt a bit flat and I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I did the first time. Now here with my 3rd glass while writing this, I like it again, but still not as much as that first day. Strange and noteworthy, take that info for what it is. Now, on to the review!
Old Forester Signature 100 Proof Review
ABV: 50%
Age: NAS
Price: $22
Distiller: Brown-Forman / Old Forester
Mashbill: 72% Corn, 18% Rye & 10% malted barley
EYE
Golden caramel
NOSE
A nice aroma filled with butterscotch taffy, caramel, cherry heavy dark fruit, wood, cinnamon, spice, orange zest and vanilla. Some nice hints of peppermint oil, rum cake and red vines run around in the background and a splash of water kicks up the wood and fruit a bit more.
PALATE
Spice kicks up a lot more on the palate, especially the cinnamon, and come with notes of orange zest, caramel, dark fruit compote, wood and leather. Burnt sugar, cocoa and a saline like character move about lightly and a bit of water stirs up more butterscotch, vanilla, caramel and awakes a cake like quality.
FINISH
Long and spicy with elements of wood, vanilla, caramel, citrus and dark fruit throughout.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Nicely balanced with nothing really dominating or clashing. A medium body and pleasantly warm feel make it a decent sippin’ whiskey.
OVERALL
Yum. I really enjoyed this and it’s definitely a couple steps above it’s little brother the 86 Proof Old Forester. It has decent depth and an inviting range of aromas and flavors that keep me coming back for more. It’s not the kind of whiskey that will knock your socks off, but it’s a great daily drinker that is about as versatile as it gets; being right at home neat, on the rocks or in a cocktail and at the price it’s one hell of a value.
SCORE: 88/100
This is such a good value at 20-22 dollars. Always available, classic bourbon notes. Lots of dark fruit and subtle banana note. So tasty! Oh, and I’m a sucker for this presentation – the label and darkness of the bourbon just look so good!
Far superior to the 86 version, which i felt had a cherry cough syrup finish. Not here – just good solid drinking bourbon and it has just earned a permanent place on my daily drinker list alongside WT101 and OGD114!
Awesome, glad you’re loving it and thanks for sharing. Cheers Kevin!
Old Forester is an excellent value
Picked up some Old Forester today following the input from this site, for the price (sub-$20) it is a good value, there is no cheap whiskey taste. Far superior to Evan Williams, Four Roses, Rebel Yell and any other bourbon in the same price range. I am fortunate that I ran into this site, thank you.
Awesome, glad we could steer you in the right direction. Cheers!
Excellent thread, great discussion
Browsing the web for opinions and discussions, this thread is an example of unbiased sharing of individual tastes, having not tried Old Forester I will now.
Great stuff for $22 in Georgia. I prefer it to WT101 in the price range.
Indeed. This bourbon is underrated. Better than many that are $5 to $10 more in price.
I’m not sure if you check comments on old posts – but any chance you’ll be reviewing Old Forester’s Kingsman tie-in Statesman?
If I can get a bottle or a sample I definitely will. Cheers Kevin!
Excellent. I’ve seen an article that they’re adding it to their regular line up. I saw it at Costco here in Texas this weekend, so it’s getting decent distribution here.
I have three bottles of old forester Bond 100 proof sold in spring 1961 fall 1966 if interested please give me price how much you want to pay in original green box plus shipping email: [email protected] must be at least 60 years old
ali akincilar
Hi Ali,
I already have a dozen OF BiBs between 1943 – 1971 so I might not be the best person to get a great price from. If you’re still interested in chatting use the contact form at the top and we can chat.
Cheers!
That’s really interesting. I can’t help but ask, how in the world did you get a hold of a bottle of OF from 1943? I can see storing a bottle of wine that long, but bourbon?
Old Forrester 100 has become a benchmark for me. I don’t have the money to buy bottles for $40+ Every time I want a dram, nor can I afford to keep several bottles around at all times. But the price is right on this one, and the flavor is top notch. This is #1 on my list as an average guy. If you haven’t had Old Forrester 100, you’re missing out.
It’s an awesome whiskey for sure. Cheers Adam!
Let me just say that I’ve really enjoyed this one, and I expect to purchase more of it in the future.
I must say however that I agree with your assessment that something does happen to this one over time. The problem is, I can’t put my finger on what changed from my first drink. I think the quality of the underlying sweetness is different. I recall loving the the rich maple syrup sweetness that accompanied the spiciness. I taste all of the original qualities, but it seems the with time, the rye punches through more. I still like it, but it does seem to have changed. Maybe this one needs a cork.
Oxidization does interesting things to whiskey. Cheers CG!
I gotta say I agree completely with the air exposure comments. The first time I tried this several months ago after the first couple of glasses I texted a whiskey loving co-worker and told him this was a “must try”. I had to amend my recommendation later. It took me about 3 weeks to finish the bottle and the best way I can describe it is that over that time it just fell apart. Everything about it that seemed harmonious at first seemed to have separated into disparate elements and it just tasted – awkward. I can juxtapose that with something like Black Saddle that when I first opened that it was like a game of musical chairs going on in the bottle with everything trying to find a seat. But once it settled down I liked it a lot. Weird.
Good review and good whisky, I hadn’t noticed any oxidation difficulties but –
I keep on hand a good supply of .250; .375 and .75 liter bottles just for that purpose. When a bottle gets down some, it contents can easily be transferred to smaller bottles, to fill them. Some rums do better with a bit of air, really opening up when the contents down by the shoulder.
Personally, the rye content is about perfect to my taste although Old Grand Dad is a welcome change with its even higher rye mix.
Thanks for sharing. Cheers!
This is a great value at around $20. Agree with your review of a solid B+. I might even consider A- with the value factored in. Dark fruit mainly cherry really upfront on the palate but not over done. Good balance with wood and vanilla makes this a great flavor profile to me. It is very sipable too for 100 proof. A good whiskey that i would recommend to anyone who likes a dark fruit heavy taste.
Hey MW,
I never factor price into the score, but completely agree with everything else you mentioned. A great all around bourbon that won’t kill your wallet.
Cheers!
Josh,
Once again great review! I agree with you on this one. I picked up a pint of this one a couple of weeks ago, and found that I really enjoy this. I have been looking for a bourbon that I could keep in stock that wasn’t expensive, but had a really good, consistant experience. I found that with this one. The nose is buttrscotch, a nuttiness, with a hint of cherries and carmel. The pallet is mostly the same with a little vinilla and spice in there too. I think the best part is the finnish, I get carmel a little burn that fades into a wood that lingures and drys over a fairly long time. I can’t wait to get another bottle to enjoy. I agree that this bourbon isn’t something to contemplate on, but like a good friend something to enjoy being with and drinking if that makes sense.
Keep up the great work!
Cheers!!
Ottis Cambell….
Thanks Ottis, it’s become one of my favorite “daily drinkers”.
Cheers!
Must agree with your review – definitely better than the 86 proof version.
Enjoying a dram right now.
Hello I have two bottles of old forester that were my grandmother with a leather label engraved with her name is it possible to get a personalized bottle of the birthday bourbon these days I was thinking of handing down the tradition to my nephews thxs
Hi Mary,
Not that I know of, but you could always get the bottles and find an engraver to / leather worker to make the tag. Hope that helps.
Old Forester Signature 100-proof is excellent. I like it better than Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select (which is the same mashbill and ingredients). If you call central casting and told them to send down a bottle of Bourbon, it should be OFS. That it sells for circa $20 a bottle is incongruent with its quality; I’m not complaining. I go by my palate and thereby have discovered 3 fine Bourbons that are circa $20: (1) OFS 100-prf, (2) Evan Williams 1783 86-prf, and (3) Henry McKenna Sour Mash 80-prf. Is it the best Bourbon: no. But I don’t want to ruin my enjoyment of Elmer T. Lee, George T. Stagg or Woodford MC Four Grain by drinking every day… that is Old Forester Signature 100-proof role.
Totally agree, OFS 100 is one hell of a value and an excellent daily drinker and I use it for the same reasons as you. The kind of thing that keeps me from running through all the great stuff too quickly!
Cheers.
I definitely prefer this over the 86, but it still comes in around a B- for me. My biggest takeaway was a peanut-butter note on the back of the palate that led roughly into the finish. It didn’t roll off the tongue evenly and had a lingering grit that was a little off-putting. Other than that, the whiskey is solid for certain occasions. Cheers!
Hey Brock,
Thanks for adding your experience. I love reading what other people think of whiskey.
Slainte!