Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon Review

Old Forester
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
100 Proof
MSRP: $23-$27
Review

Please enjoy our Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon Review!

From Old Forester: “Handpicked from select barrels, Old Forester 100 proof is a rich, complex bourbon. Spicy, robust, and bottled at 100 proof to maintain its distinct character and full flavor profile.”

Old Forester Boasts Many Firsts

Old Forester boasts a number of claims to fame on their bottles and in their marketing materials. They claim to be the first bourbon sold in sealed glass bottles as well as the only bourbon continuously sold by the same company before, during and after Prohibition. In addition to those most commonly cited achievements, they also claim to: have the first vintage-dated bourbon in the industry (Old Forester Birthday Bourbon); the first single barrel bourbon in the industry (President’s Choice, 1962); the first bourbon to create a decanter (1951 Holiday gift decanter); the first double barreled bourbon (after their 1910 bottling line fire); and the first distillery to convert their entire production to industrial grade alcohol for the war efforts (1941 – World War II). That’s a lot of firsts!

The Flagship Bourbons

Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon and Old Forester 86 Proof Bourbon are the brand’s flagship bourbons. Readily available and reasonably priced, one would probably suit most bourbon drinkers. They both use Old Forester’s standard bourbon mash bill of 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley. They are also both aged around 4 years.

Tasting Notes – Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉Nose: Fairly sweet with light floral notes, like roses; light banana, apples, as in baked in an apple pie, dark cherries, light cinnamon, toast, caramel, brown sugar; bit of tart orange citrus; light dry oak; mild to moderate alcohol
👉Taste: Caramel; oak, brown sugar; subtle dark stone fruits; some tart orange citrus later on; mild sweetness
👉Finish: relatively black pepper, dry oak and char grow in the finish; there’s a bit of dark cherries and tart citrus remaining; grows progressively drier; fairly long finish; moderate burn

The nose starts off with warm caramel, and then picks up more fruit, and a touch of floral notes. Overall, the nose gives me a sort of caramel apple pie like vibe, albeit with some additional flavors, like dark cherry, oak and citrus. So maybe not so much like apple pie, but it’s what came to my mind first.??‍♂️ There’s the tangy citrus, but it comes and goes, and remains in the background. The taste becomes a bit drier, with more noticeable oak, but also caramel, brown sugar and some dark stone fruits. The finish is fairly dry, with dry oak and relatively mild black pepper spice with some barrel char. Dark cherries and tart citrus linger on as well.

Summary – Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon Review

Overall, this is a flavorful, easy to drink whiskey. Generally, I pick up quite a bit of banana in Old Forester whiskeys, however, it is quite subtle in this one. Other fruits, such as apples and dark cherries, seem to be more dominant. The tart orange is a bit of a surprise, but I get used to it and it blends in well. Similar to it’s lower proof sibling, the Old Forester 86 Proof Bourbon, there’s a lingering dryness and tart citrus that stays with me for quite a while. Also, as would be expected, the flavors in this one are more pronounced than in the 86 proof, with a fuller mouthfeel. In addition, the fruit balance is different, with more apples and dark cherries in this higher proof version.

Have you tried Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

We hope you have enjoyed our Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon Review! Would you like to read about some other Old Forester bourbons? Then check out our Old Forester 1910 Bourbon Review, our Old Forester 1920 Bourbon Review and our 2025 Birthday Bourbon Review!

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