BOTTLE DETAILS
- DISTILLER: Old Forester Distillery
- MASH BILL: 65% Rye | 20% Malted Barley |15% Corn
- AGE: 10 years and Bottled-In-Bond
- YEAR: 2025
- PROOF: 100 (50% ABV)
- MSRP: $64.99
- BUY ONLINE: Already sold out online, but it’s been released to select Kentucky retailers.
STEVE’S NOTES
SHARE WITH: All rye fans and any other whiskey fans who think they don’t like rye.
WORTH THE PRICE: $65 is a lot for a 375ml bottle, but it’s 10 years old and BIB – even though the brand doesn’t explicitly emphasize that in its press release. Strange, right?
BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar. If you’re thrilled by it, get it if you can find it. Indeed, I suspect the distillery store sold out, so you’ll need luck to find it at retail. Still, try before you buy.
OVERALL: Though a majority of the grain bill is Old Forester Bottled-in-Bond Rye, the nose speaks directly to the Kentucky-style rye, i.e. rye coddled in corn and barley. Moreover, it’s floral and spicy, with back notes of maple and caramel. It’s a simple whiskey, but its simplicity is part of its beauty. Less is more here.
So, why didn’t Old Forester headline its press release saying this is a 10-year-old rye ? (The release actually read, “Bottled during the wet Spring of 2015 … .” Yeah, “bottled” and “2015,” which I knew was off since the brand wasn’t created until 2019. Surely a typo, so I asked about it, and the publicist confirmed it was 10 years old.) In addition, age statements carry weight in whiskey, especially from a renowned distillery that ages whiskies exceptionally. Since the baseline Old Forester Rye is 4-6 years old (and really good), bottling something double that age is definitely special.
BRAND NOTES
COLOR: Ripe Tangerine
AROMA: Sweet honeysuckle and candied lemon with hints of ginger root and
thick molasses
FLAVOR: Intense spice immediately hits followed by charred oak, freshly
cracked pepper and cooked pear
FINISH: Quick and dry finish with notes of bright citrus, lemongrass and
coriander
Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the Old Forester Bottled-in-Bond Rye brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.
