Thoughts on Bourbon

Review: 2014 Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond - June 23, 2015

The following review is based on a media sample provided by Brown-Forman.

For this review, I sampled the expression neat, with ice, and in a mini-Manhattan. Neat would be my preference when enjoying it in the future. When I added ice, I felt the bourbon lost some of its character and became overly balanced (if such a thing is possible). However, it did make a fine Manhattan, but I would normally use a less expensive pour for a cocktail.

Served neat you get the boldness that the video above talks about. Although I had expected it to be a little sweeter to the taste based on the welcoming aroma of vanilla, cereal, and mellow oak.  My favorite part of the experience was its finish - it coated my mouth and tongue nicely and lingered for a long time inviting me back for another sip.

My challenge is the $49.99 price tag. I know this is a reflection of bourbon's escalating popularity (and price in general) and it's a limited production release. I am very happy that this was a BIB offering and will likely buy a bottle sometime when I am out in the near future, but I won't be stalking liquor stores to track it down.