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1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
$87.99
The Old Forester 1910 is aged in a similar fashion to the venerable Woodford Double Oaked, as both are given a second charred new oak barrel for maturation, doubling down on those new oak and char notes. Evan feels the 1910 is better than the Woodford Double Oaked, but he is a bit of an Old Forester fanboy. Bottled at 46.5%.
Producer Description
"On October 22nd. 1910, a fire on the bottling line halted production of Old Forester. Mature whisky ready to be bottled, instead was stored in a secondary barrel. What emerged was a delightful whisky, remarkable enough to become an entirely new expressions – Old Fine Whisky.
Today mimicking this historic bottling, this unique expression of Old Forester has undergone a second barreling, granting it exceptional character, a smooth and sweet flavor and a clean, crisp finish. Entering the second barrel at a low 100 proof allows more of the sweet wood sugars to dissolve into the whiskey. 1910 Old Fine Whiskey is the fourth and final expression of the Whiskey Row Series, presented at 93 proof."
750ml mlOUT OF STOCK
If you'd like us to try to order it, add it to your cart. We can't promise, but we'll do our best!
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: Interlaced layers of buttercream, sticky toffee, cedar, and apricot.
Palate: Smooth, well rounded mingling of sweet oatmeal raisin cookie and milk chocolate leading into caramel corn and evolving spice.
Finish: Charred oak leads with a clean peripheral spice.
Old Forester is one of a few Bourbons around that spells "Whisky" without the "e" on the label. The others that come to mind are Maker's Mark and George Dickel.
Old Forester Distillery and its owners Brown-Forman are one of a handful of makers of Bourbon and Whiskey in the United States that have a legitimate and continuous distilling history going back more than a century. Back in 1870, Old Forester Bourbon launched and was the first to be sold exclusively in glass bottles with a sealed top. This was a savvy move made by creator and pharmaceutical salesman Goerge Garvin Brown to market the authenticity and consistency of Old Forester in a market flooded with questionable and often adulterated whiskey.
In the beginning, there was no Old Forester Distillery - instead, the Bourbon was blended from three different distilleries and bottled at 90 proof or 45% ABV. Just over 30 years after launching Old Forester Bourbon, George Garvin Brown purchased one of the three distilleries he used for blending: The B.F. Mattingly Distillery gave him direct control over the whisky supply used for the Old Forester brand.
American Prohibition kicked off in 1920 with the ratification and enforcement of the Volstead Act. Prohibition lasted until 1933, and it is the primary reason that we see a lot of fanciful stories about those whiskey recipes that that great-granddaddy used and revived brands talking about their by-gone history that has an 80-year gap where they didn't exist. Prohibition destroyed many companies in the whisky, beer, wine and spirits game and made a large majority of operating distilleries shut down, never to reopen. Old Forester managed to survive and continue operation during Prohibition by receiving one of only 6 Federal licences within the state of Kentucky to continue making whiskey for 'medicinal purposes.
As mentioned earlier, Old Forester is owned by a company named Brown-Forman. Named after George Garvin Bown and his partner George Forman. The company is publicly traded but to this day remains family-owned and controlled. Brown-Forman owns a few other whisky brands that you may have heard of, such as the BenRiach, GlenDronach and Glenglassauch distilleries in Scotland which the company purchased in 2016. The purchase of the three distilleries marked Brown-Forman's re-entry into Scotch Whisky as it did own a small share of Glenmorangie PLC before they sold it to Moet Hennessy in 2005. Beyond that, they also own Woodford Distillery and the Woodford Reserve brand. Oh, and a small operation in Tennessee that goes by the name Jack Daniels. Maybe you have heard of that one?
The Brown-Forman Old Forester Distillery resides in Louisville, Kentucky in a suburb called Shively. Its nearest neighbour distilleries include Michter's Shively distillery which is only a few blocks away and Heaven Hill's Bernheim distillery which is less than a 10-minute drive to the north. The Brown-Forman Distillery isn't open to the public, however, the Old Forester Distillery right in downtown Louisville was essentially purpose-built for visitors and tours. The building holds a fully operational distillery and also coopers barrels on-site. It opened in 2018. It is joined by other small downtown distilleries owned by Jim Beam, Michter's, and Evan Williams which is owned by Heaven Hill. Angel's Envy Distillery is also within walking distance.
Old Forester Distillery in downtown Louisville - Photo was taken from the Old Forester Facebook Page
$79.99
The first bottle to launch from Yellowstone's Special Finishes Collection. Bottled at 50% from a mash bill of 75% Corn, 13% Rye, and 12% Malt by Limestone Branch Distillery of Lebanon, Kentucky.
Like many distilleries in the state, the producers of Yellowstone can boast a Beam connection or two. Paul and Stephen B. Beam founded Limestone Branch in 2010. Their Great-grandfather was M.C. (Minor Case. What a name!) Beam, who operated a distillery business in the late 1800s through to his death in 1934.
Limestone Branch Distillery is owned by Luxco Brands, which was in turn purchased by MGP in 2021.
Producer Description
"Our Special Finishes Collection is an ever-growing exploration of finishes and perspectives on our iconic bourbon profile. And our first one, Toasted, kicks off on a strong note. Using a combination of High Toast, American Oak Double Toast, High Vanilla, Rickhouse, and Spicerack staves, we bring extra char for extra character."
$32.99
Carefully hand-crafted, Woodford Reserve is painstakingly selected from only the finest maturing whiskey. Long years of slumber in the oldest surviving cask warehouses in Kentucky have produced a bourbon of exceptional depth and character, with a complex, full-bodied taste and uniquely smooth finish. Small batch, hand-crafted Bourbon from Kentucky's smallest working distillery; the "official Bourbon" of both The Kentucky Derby and The Breeder's Cup.
$93.99
This Bourbon was featured on Day 12 of our 2023 KWM Whisky Calendar. You can check out Evan's blog post on the Old Forester 1920 here.
Part of Old Forester Distillery's Whisky Row Series, the 1920 Prohibition Style is meant to hearken back to the bad old days of American Prohibition. Bottled at 115 proof or 57.5% ABV - this might just cure what ails ya!
From The Producer
"The Volstead Act of 1920 which initiated Prohibition in the USA granted permits to six distillers in Kentucky to continue to bottle bourbon for medicinal purposes. Through one of these permits, Old Forester continued to be produced as medicinal whiskey on Louisville’s famed Whiskey Row. It is the only bourbon continuously sold by the same company that has been available for sale before, during and after Prohibition.
During this time, all whiskies had to be bottled at 100 Proof. With a barrel entry proof of 100, the “angel’s share” would have created a 115 proof whiskey after maturation. To pay homage to this era, Old Forester presents 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon at 115 proof to represent the rich flavor profile this bourbon had nearly 100 years ago."
$109.99
One of the best Bourbon deals in the store! This gift pack includes one 375 ml bottle of each of the following:
1897 Bourbon Bottled in Bond. This 100-proof expression is the second release in their Old Forester Whiskey Row Series and was specially crafted to honour the U.S. Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897. After the U.S. Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 to be labelled as Bottled-in-Bond, the whisky must be the product of one distillation season, one distiller and from one distillery. The concept behind the Act, the idea of “sealed-in quality” was something that Old Forester, America’s First Bottled Bourbon introduced in 1870. 50% abv
1910 Old Fine Whisky. 1910 Old Fine Whiskey, Old Forester's fourth and final expression in the Whiskey Row Series, is a double-barreled Bourbon creating a smooth mingling of sweet oatmeal raisin cookie and milk chocolate, caramel corn, and evolving spice that leads into a refined, charred oak finish. 46.5% abv
1920 Prohibition-Style Bourbon. This 115-proof expression is the third release in their Old Forester Whiskey Row series and celebrates the brand’s continued distillation during Prohibition. For 13 years, the production, transport and sale of alcohol were strictly prohibited, however, Old Forester was granted a permit to continue distilling on Louisville’s Whiskey Row. The 115-proof expression represents a barrel sample that company president Owsley Brown would have batched at the beginning of Prohibition. 57.5% abv
