Old Forester 1870 Bourbon Review

Old Forester 1870
“Original Batch”
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
90 Proof
~$45-$50

Please enjoy my Old Forester 1870 Bourbon Review!

On the Label

From the bottle label: In 1870, George Garvin Brown crafted the original small batch whiskey at 322 West Main St. on Louisville’s Whiskey Row. The Old Forester 1870 expression is handcrafted in this tradition.

Developed by Marianne Eaves and Chris Morris

Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Bourbon was the first release of Old Forester’s Whiskey Row Series, back in November 2014. At that time it was developed by Marianne Eaves, who was Master Taster at Brown-Forman, in conjunction with Chris Morris, Brown-Forman Master Distiller and VP of Whiskey Innovation.

The significance of the year 1870

1870 was the year that George Garvin Brown created Old Forester. (Although it was spelled “Old Forrester” at the time). In those days, Old Forester did not distill their own bourbon, but rather blended sourced bourbon from 3 local distilleries. The bourbon was bottled at 90 proof, which was felt to be the proof at which this bourbon was at its best. The Old Forester 1870 is meant to replicate the flavors of Old Forester’s original batched bourbon, by blending 3 different bourbons from different warehouses, different distilling dates and of different profiles. It is also bottled at the same 90 proof. Due to this homage, the label bears the words “Original Batch”.

Tasting Notes

Let’s taste Old Forester 1870 Bourbon:

🛌 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉Nose: Banana, brown sugar, pine & cedar, plums; cherry candy, cinnamon in the back; light alcohol
👉Taste: Banana, simple syrup, oak, pine; light to medium bodied
👉Finish: Lingering simple syrup sweetness and banana, black pepper spice builds, with a dryness and some cinnamon at the end. Fairly long finish for the proof

Summary

Old Forester 1870 Bourbon is fruit forward in the nose, but with some spiciness coming from pine and cinnamon. The taste is a continuation of the nose at first, but the black pepper spice, dryness and cinnamon that grow at the end are a bit unexpected. The more classic bourbon flavors of caramel, vanilla and butterscotch are less evident in this bourbon than in the remainder of the Whiskey Row series.

Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Bourbon may be enjoyed by someone who likes a lighter, fruitier bourbon, although the spiciness and dryness in the finish may or may not be to their liking. For my tastes, some of the others in the series are more suiting. What do you think about the 1870? Cheers!🥃

I hope you enjoyed my Old Forester 1870 Bourbon Review! Would you like to read about another bourbon from Old Forester’s Whiskey Row series? Check out my Old Forester 1920 Bourbon Review! Also, check our our Old Forester Distillery Tour Review to learn more about the Old Forester Distillery itself!

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!