Cue the Glencairns and ready your cork-popping technique – Old Forester just released a very interesting set of 150th Anniversary bottles – consisting of 3 unique batches, 3 unique expressions.
These small batch beauties feature an amber bottle, a nod to George Garvin Brown’s history of selling his whiskey in glass bottles so customers could see the quality of the whiskey he produced. Master Distiller Chris Morris selected 150 barrels for the batching process and Master Taster Jackie Zykan collaborated to create what we hope is a pretty incredible special release. The details from Old Forester are as follows:
This expression consists of 150 barrels chosen specially by Chris, made from wood seasoned 150 days. Jackie then personally tasted and batched all 150 barrels into three very distinct flavor profiles and proof points showcasing the taste variations among barrels depending on where they rest in the Old Forester barrelhouses.
So now that we understand the process, let’s dive into the notes for each of these expressions.
Batch 1
According to Old Forester, here’s what you can expect from batch 1, clocking in at 125.6 Proof (62.8% ABV):
Nose: Maple syrup and perfectly ripe orchard fruits, apricot and plum
Palate: Açaí and black currant
Finish: Graham cracker, subtle peppermint, long well rounded spice, moderately dry
Batch 2
According to Old Forester, here’s what you can expect from batch 2, clocking in at 126.4 Proof (63.2% ABV):
Nose: Cherry cordial and raspberry preserves
Palate: French toast and chocolate malt
Finish: Brilliant and perky spice at the front of the palate, touch of cedar, mildly dry
Batch 3
According to Old Forester, here’s what you can expect from batch 3, clocking in at 126.8 Proof (63.4% ABV):
Nose: Dill and bright orange peel, hint of light brown sugar
Palate: Sweetens in the middle to melon and pine
Finish: Medium dry, tingling green peppercorns, rosemary, grapefruit peel, and lingering anise
So there you have it. There’s one caveat to mention here, and that is the bottle price. Apparently each bottle will come with a price tag of $150. Gimmicky? Kind of. It’s a limited release so it can command a higher price, but this might put the collection out of the hands of a lot of enthusiasts. Personally, we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled to see if we can get our hands on a batch bottle or two (knowing we’ll be lucky just to get one). And hoping (in a futile fashion) that it’s not marked up to secondary pricing near us.
As always, happy hunting and good luck out there! Cheers.
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