BOTTLE DETAILS
- DISTILLER: Produced and bottled by West Fork Whiskey and distilled by MGPI.
- MASH BILL: 99% Corn | 1% Malted Barley
- AGE: 10 years (minimum)
- YEAR: 2025
- PROOF: 100 (50% AVB)
- MSRP: $84.99
- BUY ONLINE: West Fork Whiskey Online Shop
BRENT’S NOTES
SHARE WITH: Any bourbon drinker who prefers some age and a bit of oak.
WORTH THE PRICE: Yes. This is a 10-year-old MGP 99% corn mashbill for significantly less than what you will likely pay for most other 10-year-old products on the market today. Especially when you consider what many other craft distilleries or NDPs are charging in this current climate, this bottle is more than a fair value.
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle. If you like MGP products and don’t want to pay a lot more for aged bourbon from another NDP, this one is right up your alley. West Fork Whiskey and Old Hamer (their legacy brand) is currently available on the shelves in IL, IN, FL, CO, and DC, but you can also purchase it online via the link above. I’m told that distribution will expand to 10 states this year.
OVERALL: The Old Hamer brand uses MGP 99% corn, 1% malted barley mash bills. From my understanding, the owners have pretty much cornered the market on these barrels. So much so that they now have a ton of barrels coming of age. I’ve been told that there is a good number of these barrels that will turn 12 this summer. But for the moment the bottles that they have been putting out have been impressive.
Even more so when you consider their price. This release comes in well below my general rule for what I consider “reasonable” pricing when it comes to aged bourbon. My math seems to have become a bit outdated in the last few years due to the influx of new NDPs charging as much as they can for underaged bourbon, but the market also seems to be correcting itself as of late. I usually figure about $10 per year plus an additional $10-$15 on top of that. Anything else is getting greedy in my opinion.
From my understanding, this 10-year-old was a marriage of two different 10-year-old barrels that were proofed down to 100. It started out with a Werther’s Original sweetness and quickly transitioned to heavy oak with some dry and tannic notes. There is no mistaking this one for some underaged, rushed-to-market barrel. You can tell that there are some years on this one.
While that is not my preferred profile, anyone who likes aged bourbon will enjoy this one. This single expression alone would’ve likely earned a “Bar” rating from me, but luckily, I know a few people over at West Fork who provided me with three more 10-year-old single barrel samples. All of them were proofed over 126. Two of them were good. I even liked them better as single barrel expressions than the proofed down blend of the two barrels. But there was a third one that was an absolute standout. It had a huge finish, and it was full of baking spice and ripe red fruit on the palate. They were all good enough to bottle samples and send them to Pops for his thoughts.
Moreover, I was given another sample of an 8-year-old single barrel at cask strength. I liked that one even more. It had just a bit less oak on the palate and I thought it really hit a sweet spot for my taste preference. After sampling a handful of these different 8- and 10-year-old barrels, Pops and I decided that instead of a “Bottle” rating, we should buy a barrel. So, Pops and I, along with a handful of lucky community members, will be at West Fork in June to pick our very own 99% Corn, 1% Malted Barley barrel. We will be tasting blindly from a mix of 8- and 10-year-old barrels. Be sure to keep an eye on our Discord for updates on the selection process and when you can purchase these bottles, so you can try them yourself.
BRAND NOTES
The pinnacle of the “Old Hamer Standard” mash bill of 99% corn, and 1% malted barley, Old Hamer 10 year exudes balance and sophistication. Aged for 10 years in 53 gallon Speyside barrels and proofed to 100, this bourbon is a stunner, that punches way above its price point. Sweet corn, bubblegum, and vanilla on the nose give way to a delectable dance of caramel, vanilla, sweet sour mash, and stone fruit on the palate. Every bottle showcases the best and oldest representation of the Old Hamer recipe.
- Proof: 100 | ABV: 50%
- Mash Bill: 99% Corn, 1% Malted Barley
- AGE: 10 years (minimum)
- Non-Chill Filtered — Distilled, Aged, & Bottled in Indiana
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.