Today’s drink is Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond. Not knowing much about it, we went to their website and found this.
Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond is crafted to honor a watershed moment in bourbon history – the U.S. Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897. This expression follows the Bottled in Bond standards that whisky must be aged in a federally bonded warehouse for at least four years, the product of one distillation season, one distiller, and from one distillery and bottled at 100 Proof. The concept behind these regulations – the idea of ‘sealed in quality’ – was something Old Forester introduced in 1870, as America’s First Bottled Bourbon.
So, we got some history here. What we do know is that 1897 is one of four Old Foresters with a date as part of their name, joining 1870, 1910, and 1920. This is the first one we have rated. What we don’t know is the age, as there is no statement on the bottle or on their website. As stated above it has to be at least 4 years old, it would be nice to know the exact age.
1897 comes in a corked bottle in the same shape as most of their expressions and sells for around $50.
We have in the past, stated we had a soft spot for the original Old Forester 86 and the 100. However, we were not as impressed with the hard-to-find Birthday Bourbon, which seemed like a gimmick. Where will 1897 fall, we will tell you after a couple of drinks.
NOSE
Matt: Lots to like here, vanilla, oak, apple, and apricot up front with a nice earthiness in the background. Hope this is a good sign.
Todd: Agree, nice nose, I definitely get toffee up front along with caramel and corn. Secondary aromas include a fruitiness, maybe orange, along with almond and oak.
TASTE
Matt: I can taste the caramel and oak that Todd got on the nose along with vanilla. More subtle is cherries and spice.
Todd: Very sweet with flavors of chocolate, toffee, and caramel. Lesser tastes include the same fruitiness I smelled and a grain/bread flavor.
Finish
Matt: Medium long with more oak, fruit, and spice.
Todd: A musty medium-long finish.
OVERALL
Matt: Great mouth feel with all of the typical flavors found in good Bourbon. Also, very well-balanced. One cube opens it up a bit.
Todd: I think I liked this a bit more than Matt. It is fairly smooth for 100 proof, though I agree it opens up with a cube or two.
Nose 4.25 out of 5
Taste 8.75 out of 10
Finish 4 out of 5
Total score 17 out of twenty barrels
All in all, 1897 is a pretty decent offering from Old Forester. It won’t break the bank, easy to find, and not too hot when neat. We both liked it a little better with a bit of ice or water. It also has a nice little story behind it.
If you like your Bourbon to be, as Matt said, typical, we definitely recommend this bottle.
As a side note, it seemed to taste better after the second glass. Coincidence? We think not.