BOTTLE DETAILS
- DISTILLER: Old Forester Distillery
- MASH BILL: 65% Rye | 20% Malted Barley |15% Corn
- AGE: 10 years and Bottled-In-Bond
- YEAR: 2025
- PROOF: 100 (50% ABV)
- MSRP: $64.99
- BUY ONLINE: Already sold out online, but it’s been released to select Kentucky retailers.
STEVE’S NOTES
SHARE WITH: All rye fans and any other whiskey fans who think they don’t like rye.
WORTH THE PRICE: $65 is a lot for a 375ml bottle, but it’s 10 years old and BIB – even though the brand doesn’t explicitly emphasize that in its press release. Strange, right?
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar. If you’re thrilled by it, get it if you can find it. My guess is it’s all gone from the distillery store proper, so you’ll have to get lucky and see where it pops up in retail. Still, try before you buy.
OVERALL: Though a majority of the grain bill is rye, the nose speaks directly to the Kentucky-style rye, i.e. rye coddled in corn and barley. Still, it’s floral and spicy, and it includes back notes of maple and caramel. It’s a simple whiskey, but its simplicity is part of its beauty. Less is more here.
On the palate, it’s definitely a rye whiskey. Gentle spice and herbal characters separate it immediately from the sweetness of Old Forester Bourbon. Expectedly, there’s caramel and white chocolate in the mix, but those notes are offset pleasantly with a little mint, some eucalyptus and white pepper. The finish is clean, crisp and short and, not surprisingly, this older whiskey leaves a little tannin behind for good measure. Hang with it to get some flamed orange peel and campfire; worthy rewards for the patient drinker.
So, why didn’t Old Forester headline its press release saying this is a 10-year-old rye ? (The release actually read, “Bottled during the wet Spring of 2015 … .” Yeah, “bottled” and “2015,” which I knew was off since the brand wasn’t created until 2019. Surely a typo, so I asked about it, and the publicist confirmed it was 10 years old.) Age statements mean a lot in whiskey, and arguably more so coming from a renowned distillery which ages its whiskies so well. Since the baseline Old Forester Rye is 4-6 years old (and really good), bottling something double that age is definitely special.
I do wish I had a bottle of the flagship handy to compare to the 10-year release, but I do know it well. At a recent event, where I had two 100 proof Old Forester Rye Manhattans (both were delicious), I was reminded of the incredible bargain that whiskey is for about $25 per 750ml. That leaves me reluctant to pay $65 for a half bottle–even one that’s double the age–given the same proof.
BRAND NOTES
COLOR: Ripe Tangerine
AROMA: Sweet honeysuckle and candied lemon with hints of ginger root and
thick molasses
FLAVOR: Intense spice immediately hits followed by charred oak, freshly
cracked pepper and cooked pear
FINISH: Quick and dry finish with notes of bright citrus, lemongrass and
coriander
Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.