Old Forrester 100

[J.W.]

I hope someone has an idea about this. I have been drinking OF 100 for many years one of my favorites. The bottle I opened last night can only be described as SCARY There was no flavor in it no carmel, baked sweet potato, no nothing but pure alcohol. My wife even asked what that smell was. which never happens. any thoughts would be appreciated.

J.W.

[cowdery]

Bad bottles happen, though not very often. Drink something else for a couple of days then try it again. If it still offends, contact the company. If it is a bad bottle, they'll want to check it out and they'll make it right with you for your help.

[Dramiel McHinson]

I hope someone has an idea about this. I have been drinking OF 100 for many years one of my favorites. The bottle I opened last night can only be described as SCARY There was no flavor in it no carmel, baked sweet potato, no nothing but pure alcohol. My wife even asked what that smell was. which never happens. any thoughts would be appreciated.

J.W.

That's happened to me and I made the mistake of pouring my glass down the sink only to find out a few months later that the bottle was fine, my palate was not in good working order. Your wife noticing something peculiar too points to the bottle. Pour an ounce in a glass and agitate the daylights out of it to get it to breath. Leave it alone for ten minutes then nose and taste it. If it's still way off, stop right there and follow Mr. Chuck's good advice.

[Josh]

Sometimes with me, if I taste or smell something pungent before I drink, it can throw off the smell and taste of the whiskey. Like the others said, leave it a day or two and then go back. If it still tastes bad, then complain.

[Dr. François]

On the agitation front: I recommend buying an inexpensive, battery powered milk frother. Not only does it replace (with the purchase of a 10 dollar French press) the need for a fancy espresso machine, it works great on wine and liquor to quickly oxidize the sample. IKEA has one for under three bucks.

I found my enjoyment of a fresh bottle of Weller Antique 107 greatly increased when I gave in a 12 second whirl in the glass.

[Jono]

The OF Signature...100 proof....is an excellent bourbon...not sure what to expect from the standard bottling....the Signature is a great bargain too.

[gblick]

Not only does it replace (with the purchase of a 10 dollar French press) the need for a fancy espresso machine..

Are you trying to tell me that coffee made with a French press is better than that made in a good pump espresso machine? I find that hard to believe. Which French press do you recommend? I never froth any milk, I just like the straight espresso.

[barturtle]

Are you trying to tell me that coffee made with a French press is better than that made in a good pump espresso machine? I find that hard to believe. Which French press do you recommend? I never froth any milk, I just like the straight espresso.

We're about to go OT here, but I'll play along anyway.

It's a difference of how long the coffee sits on the grounds and leaches out the flavor. Espresso only brews for seconds, Drip coffee leaves the grounds not quite as fast as it goes in, so maybe a minute actually on the grounds, Press Coffee steeps for several minutes. This extended exposure allows it to really get all the yummy goodness out of the beans. In addition the filtering media is courser (less fine than either paper or the screens in espresso machines) allowing the oils to pass through, along with some fine coffee dust, enrichening the final brew. Press coffee has body like no other brew I've had.

To bring this back to bourbon: if drip coffee is Beam White, Espresso is Beam Black and Press is Booker's.

[cowdery]

Perhaps Timothy was trying to say this subtly, but the amount of caffeine in the final product (perhaps what he meant by "yummy goodness") is also in direct proportion to how long the grounds are in contact with the brew water. Pump espresso has very little caffeine in it, drip has more, press has more than that, and old-fashioned percolators have the most.

Drinking strong coffee right before you drink Old Forester will make the Old Forester taste funny. (See how I got us back on topic.)

[Dr. François]

For the record, I put the coffee information in parentheses because it was parenthetical. An aside, if you will. The focus of my post was on a technique I use to "open" a bourbon.

But, as an act of thread-hijack contrition, I will put a bottle of OF100 on order and contribute to the discussion.

[barturtle]

I always forget about perc coffee, as I've never owned one. Though after reading how Alton Brown uses one to cook asparagus, I've been tempted to pick one up, as a multi-use appliance.

However I don't think the asparagus would work well with Old Forester, but it might mate well with Evan Williams 1783, right Jeff?

[gblick]

Sorry for the bit of OT, but thanks for the info, I'll definitely have to give a press a try sometime.

How does the OF Signature 100 compare to the older BiB, I'm assuming it'll be about the same?

[cowdery]

Although OF had a BIB at one time, they've always had a 100-proof that generally has not been BIB. There is no difference between Signature and the previous iterations of the 100-proof. However, what is interesting is that in most cases where a product is offered at more than one proof, the lower proof versions are just diluted versions of the higher proof expression, but that's not the case with OF. Each has its own taste profile and they are batched for bottling separately.

[jeff]

I always forget about perc coffee, as I've never owned one. Though after reading how Alton Brown uses one to cook asparagus, I've been tempted to pick one up, as a multi-use appliance.

However I don't think the asparagus would work well with Old Forester, but it might mate well with Evan Williams 1783, right Jeff?

Click here for more bourbo-asparagus discussion.

[bvscfanatic]

While we are on the subject, does anybody happen to know the age of OF Signature? I'm sure that it's at least 6 years (based upon the color), but the bottle is unmarked as to age. I gave a bottle as a Christmas gift to friends who are not (yet) bourbon drinkers (but they will be), and we got into a long discussion about bourbon. I was unable to tell them the age of the OF signature. Any help will be appreciated.

[jeff]

It used to say "This bourbon is 4 years old", back when it was simply OF 100, but I always thought it to be considerably older. I would guess 6-7 years old IMO.

[bvscfanatic]

It used to say "This bourbon is 4 years old", back when it was simply OF 100, but I always thought it to be considerably older. I would guess 6-7 years old IMO.

[Buffalo Bill]

I have a handle of O.F. 86 from the 80's here (4 Year) and my first reaction was the same. The stuff rivals anything in the 9 Year class of whiskey. As for bad bottles, I've had a few - speaking of which - I have a bottle of 1996 EWSB downstairs that has to be returned to the distiller - I called them and they were great about it - returning postage etc. Unfortunately, the retailer wouldn't take it back, so they get a lot less action from me now. BB

[shoshani]

I think at one time the BIB was actually five years old. Signature is probably 6 to 7, but remember that since it's no longer a BIB, Chris Morris can mix-and-match barrels from different years.

I remember the old BIB having a bit more toffee in its flavor than the current Signature, but Signature has a very noticeable "butter pecan" flavor that I've found in no other bourbon.

Signature also comes with a fairly hefty price raise. It's $29.99 a bottle at Binny's, just three dollars less than Woodford Reserve. I remember when Woodford was the "pricy" B-F offering while OF BIB was still in the $20 range with the other bondeds. That alone is a pretty good indication that Chris Morris has moved to significantly increase the quality and age of the vatted stocks that make up Signature, now that he has that possibility.

[JeffRenner]

Signature also comes with a fairly hefty price raise. It's $29.99 a bottle at Binny's

Wow! It's still $21.97 state mandated minimum here in Michigan, and my shop advertises that they sell at minimum, although you have to watch them as they often have the prices marked higher.

This is the bourbon I cut my teeth on - literally, my folks rubbed my gums with bourbon when I was teething (as a little tyke, not my wisdom teeth!), and this (or the 86 proof) was my father's regular in the liquor cabinet), so it has a special place in my heart. I've been out for six months or so, so I'll have to lay in a new bottle soon.

Jeff

[felthove]

I bought a bottle of the Signature 100 recently and I've been enjoying it very much. It's got a nice complex flavor profile and to me is much better than the 86 proof juice.

[funknik]

I've been trudging through a bottle of the OF Signature and have not really been in love with it. At first I thought it smelled like a Magic Marker and tasted like NyQuil, but after being open for a couple of weeks, it seems to be opening up....I poured a small dram yesterday and I could really taste the wood and it had a lot more sweetness -- I agree with Jeff that this seems more like a 6+ yr. I've noticed that in general the BIB-style (I know Signature isn't BIB anymore) bourbons seem to take me some time to appreciate...I'm still trying to get along and play nice with OGD....The only one I liked out of the gates was the VOB and that was a blind tasting. I can see why these were used for "medicinal purposes" -- my lips got a little numb after yesterday's pour & it was miniscule. I think I would need to revisit this one regularly for a while to gain a real appreciation of it, though -- an acquired taste, maybe. Not available up here anyway.

[Buffalo Bill]

To bring this back to bourbon: if drip coffee is Beam White, Espresso is Beam Black and Press is Booker's.

[OscarV]

I bought a bottle of the Signature 100 recently and I've been enjoying it very much. It's got a nice complex flavor profile and to me is much better than the 86 proof juice.

Signature is not 86 proof OF that hasn't been cut.

It is different bourbon. I don't remember what the difference is but I did read here on SB.com from a reliable source.

The only way I like Signature is poured over cracked ice.

[Special Reserve]

Wow! It's still $21.97 state mandated minimum here in Michigan, and my shop advertises that they sell at minimum, although you have to watch them as they often have the prices marked higher...

A & L?

Try The Party Center where Jackson and Dexter converge. They actually charge the state minimum. I have no connection other than I'm a shopper when in town.

Will