Old Forester History
Old Forester is known for being the first distillery to place bourbon into a bottle way back in 1870. George Garvin Brown was the man responsible for creating the Old Forester brand and their bourbon has been continuously distilled ever since, even through prohibition! Old Forester is the only company that has continuously sold their bourbon before, during and after prohibition.
Old Forester is located in Louisville, KY on historic Whiskey Row. It reopened in 2018 at the exact location where the Old Forester Distillery operated from 1882-1919! They operate a cooperage, char their own barrels, distill and age bourbon in this location, along with other rickhouses off-site located in Shively, Kentucky. When taking a tour at the distillery, the guide will point out all of the history that has happened in each room over 100 years ago.
Who First Bottled Bourbon?
George Garvin Brown’s name is on each and every bottle of Old Forester, but why is that? In the late 1800’s bourbon was a hot commodity and everybody wanted to get their hands on some for recreational and medicinal purposes. The thing is with bourbon, you have to put distillate in a barrel and then wait. Time is the rate limiting factor. In the late 1800’s, people would cut corners and throw in all sorts of chemicals and additives to make the distillate look and taste like bourbon. However, some of the additives were toxic and very dangerous to consume.
George Garvin Brown had the idea to bottle his bourbon and seal it to show that the liquid in the bottle had not been tampered with. Also, to further ensure quality, George signed his name on each bottle to guarantee that Old Forester was a top notch product.
What Is The Old Forester Rye Mashbill?
In 2019, the highly anticipated Old Forester Rye Whiskey was introduced and released to the public at 100 proof. In my opinion, Old Forester Rye 100 Proof is one of the best rye whiskeys on the market and a 750mL bottle has a MSRP around $25. This is my go to bottle for mixing sweet cocktails because the rye spice and 100 proof perfectly complement the sugars used in a mixed drink.
The Old Forester Rye mashbill is a recipe of 65% rye, 20% malted barley and 15% corn that was obtained in 1940 by Owsley Brown after he acquired the Old Kentucky Distillery. This mashbill has a higher than normal rye content compared to many other Kentucky rye whiskeys and a high amount of malted barley as well. The higher amounts of rye tend to have minty, spicy and earthy notes while the malted barley can add a softness, floral notes and ensure there are enough enzymes present for a full fermentation.
While Old Forester reintroduced their 100 proof rye whiskey in 2019, Brown-Forman (Old Forester’s parent company) had been contract distilling for Michter’s for quite some time. While the exact Michter’s 10 Year Rye mashbill isn’t known, Michter’s 10 Year Rye is known as a one of the premium rye whiskeys currently being released. Even if it is not the exact same mashbill, Old Forester releasing a rye whiskey of their own makes perfect sense. In 2021, Old Forester released the highly anticipated barrel proof single barrel rye whiskey.
Old Forester Barrel Proof Rye In-Depth Review
I poured neat in a glencairn and let set for around 15 minutes. If you would like to support the site and buy a pair on glencairns, follow the hyperlink!
This barrel proof single barrel rye whiskey clocks in at 130.5 proof, it was aged in warehouse K on floor 2. While there is no age statement on the bottle, we do know that Old Forester uses heat cycled warehouses to move their distillate in and out of the charred oak barrels more frequently than a regular aging warehouse. Old Forester claims their heat cycled warehouses speed up the aging process. A rye or bourbon aged 4-5 years in a heat cycled warehouse may actually have the flavors of a 7-9 year aged whiskey in a non heat cycled warehouse.
- Distillery: Old Forester
- Age: NAS
- Proof: 130.5 (65.25% ABV)
- Mashbill: 65% rye, 20% malted barley and 15% corn
- MSRP: $79.99
Color – A dark amber with a brightness that pops. I don’t think this pour is aged much longer than 4-5 years but the high proof and heat cycled aging contributes to the beautiful color.
Aroma – This is very rye forward on the nose. Much stronger notes of mint, soft pine and black pepper. The rye notes are intermingled well with faint notes of caramel. There is a hint of a floral note (potentially the malted barley) as well that rounds out the nose nicely. Being barrel strength the proof doesn’t show itself as strongly as I thought it would.
Taste – This pour is very approachable and isn’t nearly as hot as 130.5 proof. This is much sweeter on the palate than the nose would indicate. Notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak are intermingled with more subtle flavors of mint and spice. The barrel notes are beautiful, well pronounced and the backbone of this pour. The initial tasting notes are well rounded and pleasant with some heat from the alcohol on the backend, which at barrel proof is expected.
Finish – A much softer finish compared to other barrel strength rye whiskeys I have tasted. Soft and pleasant while still having strong lingering notes of vanilla, oak and spice. The finish is well rounded and lingers quite a long time on the palate.
Rating – 8.6
Thoughts – Old Forester Barrel Proof Rye is excellent. Many of Old Forester’s bourbons I would prefer them to be aged longer, but this rye is spot on. Normally, ryes take on oak and mature flavors much quicker than a bourbon does. I am an oak fiend and will always welcome more time in the barrel and Old Forester has knocked their rye products out of the park! This bottle of barrel proof provided traditional rye flavors of pepper and evergreen paired with oak and a hint of caramel. This is a complex, well rounded pour.
This is a treat and I would recommend this pour to any whiskey drinker. I enjoyed Old Forester Barrel Strength Rye neat but would welcome it on the rocks or in a cocktail. Old Forester Barrel Proof Rye has great sweetness on the palate, more traditional rye flavors and great drinkability compared to other barrel proof ryes I have tasted.
What are your favorite Old Forester products? Do you have any nice cocktail recipes you use Old Forester Rye with? Please share these in the comments below I would love to hear from readers!
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists
5 | Good | Good, just fine
6 | Very Good | A cut above
7 | Great | Well above average
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite
10 | Perfect | Perfect
Debonair Gentlemen 
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