Every so often, mania gets ahead of reality. Oh, who am I kidding? This is the whiskey world, mania always gets ahead of reality. In this case, however, I found the demand very strange. Every release of Old Forester’s Whisky Row series has been readily available (at least in my area). There has never been a shortage of them or a time when you couldn’t find them just sitting on the shelf — not even 1920, which was the best of the bunch.
But for some reason, 1910 was different. The first batch quickly sold out everywhere. When it came back, because it sold out so quickly, some of my local stores decided that they needed to throw it in their lottery pile. Which, cool for them, I guess, but I just checked online, and you can go to at least one Total Wine location and pick it up off the shelf.
So what makes this bourbon so sought after? Well…I have no idea. It is finished in a second barrel, but that is hardly new. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and Jim Beam Double Oak have both been on the market for quite a while now. Maybe the company website can shed some light on this:
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.
Not really much insight there. I mean a low entry proof for the second barreling is interesting, but can hardly be the reason that this is in such high demand. I’d guess that it might be because 1920, the previous release, was so good, but that expression has rarely, if ever, been out of stock. So I’m left with mania as the only excuse I can think of. It got popular because some people were interested and then as it started to sell, more people got interested, and things got out of control. I shouldn’t be surprised, I guess it’s an all too familiar story in the whiskey world.
Old Forester 1910: Old Fine Whisky
Purchase Info: $58.99 for a 750 mL bottle at the Old Forester Distillery gift shop, Louisville, KY.
Price per Drink (50mL): $3.93
Details: 46.5% ABV
Nose: Cherry cough syrup, cocoa, vanilla and caramel
Mouth: Vanilla, caramel, cherry cough syrup
Finish: Warm and fruity with lingering strong cherry and sweetness
Thoughts: This is one of those bourbons that I like a lot less in a Glencairn than I do in a rocks glass. The Glencairn accentuates the cherry notes making it feel like you are taking notes on Robitussin. In a rocks glass, the cherry flavors are more muted and don't overpower the drink as much. I dislike this in the nosing glass, but in a rocks glass, it is merely meh. It’s too fruity for my tastes, but there is nothing actually wrong with it.
In the end, I guess I don’t mind that it is/has been hard to find. I prefer the more easily found 1920 and in the future, will be picking that one up instead.
BourbonGuy.com accepts no advertising. It is solely supported by the sale of the hand-made products and bourbon-related craft supplies I sell at the BourbonGuy Gifts store. If you'd like to support BourbonGuy.com, visit BourbonGuyGifts.com. And hey, if you are an iOS user, look for Bourbon Guy in Apple News. Thanks!