The Basics: 

Old Forester Distillery

132.1 Proof

NAS

Beverage Superstore Pick

$80 MSRP

Nose:

Brown sugar, chocolate covered cherries, candied apple, clove, dark oak, nutmeg, and vanilla cupcake.

Palate: 

Cherry candy, walnut, bananas flambé, dark brown sugar, praline, and allspice.

Dark chocolate brownie with cherry sauce

Finish:

Medium-long finish with medicinal cherry, grape, prunes, and intense cinnamon.

Final Thoughts:

As someone who leans towards higher proof whiskies, I was thrilled to hear that Old Forester was going to release single barrels at barrel strength rather than their traditional 90 proof (If only I could have found one sooner…). On the nose, there was a lot of chocolate, cherry, and oak that you find in other Old Forester whiskies, but definitely fainter than I expected given the proof. The palate is where the flavors intensified with dark chocolate brownie, pralines, and cherry candy. While there certainly is a lot of depth to these flavors, the whiskey is undeniably hot. The finish continued with similar flavors as the palate, along with a massive cinnamon punch that coated my entire tongue. For $80, this whiskey is slightly more expensive than my all-time favorite barrel proof whiskey, Elijah Craig. While I enjoy this whiskey a lot, and believe that it will open up more with some air time, it does not have the level of complexity I would hope for at this price point. Will I try a different store pick, absolutely. Will I buy backups, only if I’ve tried it first.