Review: Old Forester The 117 Series – Rum Finish
Old Forester‘s effusive 117 Series — named after the distillery’s former address at 117 W. Main St. in Louisville — is back with its latest expression, featuring a rum cask finish.
There’s a certain serendipity with this release thanks to new Old Forester Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo, who I met in New Orleans at Tales of the Cocktail. Trigo formerly worked at Diplomatico, so he’s been immersed in the rum world far more deeply than your typical bourbon distiller.
This expression is four years old, with a six month finish in (unspecified) rum barrels.
Fans of Old Forester’s typically wood-forward, brooding style will be in for nothing short of a shock with this release, perhaps the softest expression of OldFo I’ve encountered to date. The iconic, gritty aroma of a typical Old Forester release is absent here, tempered by aromas of brown sugar and a clear punch of molasses. It’s still amply beefy and a bit on the young side, but just from nosing it there’s no mistaking the impact the rum barrel has had on the whiskey.
The palate continues that thread, offering a sweet and raisiny experience with more clear rum influence. Notes of brown butter, apple crumble, and vanilla all thread the needle between the worlds of whiskey and rum, but it’s the emerging flavors of cinnamon and cloves that eventually transport you to the islands. Vanilla comes on strongest on the finish, with a healthy gingerbread character backing it up — though that slightly rustic, gritty, leathery quality that virtually every Old Forester release has makes a tenacious return as the experience fades out.
Love it or hate it, it’s wholly unique for the brand.
93 proof.
A- / $60 (375ml) / oldforester.com
Old Forester The 117 Series – Rum Finish
$60
