Bourbon Reviews, Distillery News and Information
Old Forester The 117 Series Bourbon Review
This is the latest special release from Old Forester. Created by Jackie Zykan, the Old Forester The 117 Series Bourbon packs a boatload of flavor into its 375ml bottle! She's really made something special here!
Old Forester
The 117 Series
High Angels’ Share Barrels
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Batch 001
110 Proof
This is the latest special release from Old Forester. Created by Jackie Zykan, Old Forester The 117 Series Bourbon packs a boatload of flavor into its 375ml bottle! She’s really made something special here!
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According to Old Forester:
“Due to heat cycled warehousing and our unique maturation environment, occasionally the angels choose particular barrels from which they take more than their fair share. This whisky is a small batch of these flavorful few which developed unique, concentrated profiles due to higher than average operative loss.”
Basically, what Jackie Zykan has done is collected a bunch of Old Forester’s low yield barrels. These are barrels which have lost an excessive percentage of their original volume due to evaporation (AKA high Angel’s Share). We’d expect something special from those highly concentrated barrels, and this bourbon does not disappoint!
Tasting Notes
Let’s taste it:
🛌 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn
👉Nose: Burnt caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, juicy fruit gum, banana, rye spices, cinnamon, oak, light alcohol
👉Taste: Burnt caramel, molasses sweetness, char, light apple, banana, hint of coffee
👉Finish: Sweetness and fruit continue, but char and some oak rapidly build and become dominant. Long finish with a moderate burn
Summary
Old Forester The 117 Series Bourbon reminds me of some sort of a sticky bun; a caramel, banana, juicy fruit gum sticky bun, with a bit of baking spices, added for good measure. The finish does change abruptly; it’s as if you used a toothpick made out of the heavily charred oak box that your sticky bun came in. Not sure why you would need to do that with a sticky bun, but, hey, it works! This bourbon is just packed with flavor and I’m really enjoying this first pour. It will be interesting to see how it changes as it opens up.
Are you an Old Forester fan? If you are, I think you’ll really enjoy this one. Cheers!🥃
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Want to learn about other Old Forester bourbons? Check out our Old Forester 1920 Bourbon Review and our Old Forester 1910 Bourbon Review!
About the Editor: Ed Escott is truly "Bourbon Obsessed". He is the founder of Bourbon Obsessed, LLC, and an Executive Bourbon Steward of the Stave and Thief Society. In addition, he has authored and edited over 600 bourbon and other whiskey reviews, over 50 in-depth distillery write-ups, and many other related articles. He is on the board of the Kentucky Bourbon Influencers and a member of the Lexington Bourbon Society and the Bourbon Capital Guild. Last, but not least, Ed has attended many bourbon-related educational sessions, visited countless distilleries, and is on a never-ending quest to try every bourbon.
Prior to focusing solely on Bourbon Obsessed, Ed practiced in academic medicine for three decades. He most recently was a Professor at the University of Kentucky and served as Chief of the Division of Neuroradiology and Vice Chair For Faculty Mentoring, Development & Wellness of the Department of Radiology. He has extensive editorial experience in academic medical publication, and brings that same academic mindset to Bourbon Obsessed, which is a unique approach for a spirit-focused media company.
Ed can be found on social media on Instagram at @bourbon_obsessed and on Facebook at @BourbonObsessed
About the author: Ed Escott is truly "Bourbon Obsessed". He is the founder of Bourbon Obsessed, LLC, and an Executive Bourbon Steward of the Stave and Thief Society. In addition, he has authored and edited over 600 bourbon and other whiskey reviews, over 50 in-depth distillery write-ups, and many other related articles. He is on the board of the Kentucky Bourbon Influencers and a member of the Lexington Bourbon Society and the Bourbon Capital Guild. Last, but not least, Ed has attended many bourbon-related educational sessions, visited countless distilleries, and is on a never-ending quest to try every bourbon.
Prior to focusing solely on Bourbon Obsessed, Ed practiced in academic medicine for three decades. He most recently was a Professor at the University of Kentucky and served as Chief of the Division of Neuroradiology and Vice Chair For Faculty Mentoring, Development & Wellness of the Department of Radiology. He has extensive editorial experience in academic medical publication, and brings that same academic mindset to Bourbon Obsessed, which is a unique approach for a spirit-focused media company.
Ed can be found on social media on Instagram at @bourbon_obsessed and on Facebook at @BourbonObsessed
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