Old Forester 2009 B-Day Bourbon

[spun_cookie]

Old Forester 2009 B-Day Bourbon

Nose:

Odd… must and baby dippers were my first impression as I waved it past my nose..

Well, the second wave is rye and then back to that baby dipper plastic smell… this is not encouraging…

As it opens I get more of the Old Forester nose in it, but there is still a lot of off scents…

Not looking forward to the taste…

Taste:

Well, the taste is better that the nose… I get some of that 04 and 06 B-Day taste here….

There is still off notes here that do not make me smile… but it is more drinkable than smellable

Finish:

ooow…. Not so good. Has that plastic and funk finish. Damn… The second taste is worse than the first… the third made me almost gag… WTF

Overall / other

OK Bird, thanks for the 50ml sample… I hope you pissed in this, because if they bottled it like this they should fire the taters…

This might be the worse bourbon I have ever had... and I have had the WR FG and SC so I know bad whiskey....

[OscarV]

I opened mine last night.

My first impression from the nose was, 40 bucks down the drain.

First taste, hot, I screwed up, I should have known better after my only other bottle of the 2003.

I swirled it around in a crystal Glencairn for a while and tried it again.

Hint of apples very faint, still hot.

Next taste, ouzo, hmmm, never had hot ouzo.

Finally after a while I did get an underlining of dry Nestles chocolate powder mix for milk, so it does improve with time and air.

I set it aside and poured myself a Four Roses Single Barrel.

Damn!!! I thought, that Old Forester does suck!

I hope he doesn't have another birthday.

[CajunKY]

Got a bottle of this for my father since his 60th birthday was the day that the local stores got this in stock. Maybe I shouldn't let him open it as he may get the wrong idea about my tribute to him.

[OscarV]

John Hansell gave it a 78 rating, that's real low for Malt Advocate.

[jburlowski]

Thanks for confirming my impressions about the entry taste. I, too, find something odd there although I'm not sure I would describe it as harshly as Spun Cookie does.

It just seems like some sort of off, foreign note. Just can't put my finger (or taste buds) on it to identify it clearly. On Hansell's site I concurred with the low 78 score based on this strange taste.

Overall, I found the bourbon to be OK --- but certainly not at the premium price. It clearly is a disappointment; particularly after last year's sensational expression.

I wonder what the heck is going on here?

[MTBottle]

John Hansell gave it a 78 rating, that's real low for Malt Advocate.

Where do you find the bourbon ratings on Malt Advocate? (That site is tough to navigate, IMO.)

Mark

[callmeox]

Current reviews are on John's blog.

Here's the OFBB review

[MTBottle]

Current reviews are on John's blog.

Here's the OFBB review

Thanks, callmeox. After clicking on the link in your post, I realized I was looking for John Hansell's review at the wrong site. No wonder I couldn't find his review! Duh!

Mark

[Josh]

Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn't have passed on those 08s I saw all over the place last week in favor of picking up the 2009.

I currently have the 2007 open and it's damn good. Not as good as the '08 by any means, but still really good. That 08 is epic.

[Virus_Of_Life]

Very disappointing to read this.

I am, BTW, moving this thread to the Premium/Specialty forum.

[birdman1099]

OK Bird, thanks for the 50ml sample… I hope you pissed in this, because if they bottled it like this they should fire the taters…

If I would have pissed init, it would have gotten better !!!:slappin:

Remember, my piss is an extra aged, wheated bourbon at high proof !!!:grin:

[OscarV]

I've now struck out twice on the Old Forester Birthday Bourbons.

My first bottle was the Spring 1990, bottled 2003.

I liked it at first but the more I drank the worse it got.

Now strike 2 is this current '09.

I think in the future I am going to work the count and take a walk.

******Later Edit******

I'm sipping some now.

Good call Emerald, it does have a plastic baby diaper taste to it.

[Joshua]

Wow, I'm happy I passed this up now

[callmeox]

I'm left wondering how folks here know what a plastic baby diaper tastes like. :bigeyes:

[spun_cookie]

I'm left wondering how folks here know what a plastic baby diaper tastes like. :bigeyes:

Not a used diaper, but the heavy scent from a box of them.. if you have kids you know the smell of a box of diapers.

Very distinct smell.

[ErichPryde]

Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn't have passed on those 08s I saw all over the place last week in favor of picking up the 2009.

I currently have the 2007 open and it's damn good. Not as good as the '08 by any means, but still really good. That 08 is epic.

I liked the 07 a lot. If you think the 08 is epic, I will, without fail, go and grab a bottle before it disappears here in Wichita. I am seriously disappointed with what I am hearing of the 09... I'd love to try it for myself but I don't want to purchase a bottle if it is as bad as you guys are saying it is.

[The Boozer]

On another thread, Chuck says he liked it and appears to have given it a buy recommendation.

I havn't had any of the OFBB's yet but recently bouight the 08' on Josh's recommendation.

[ErichPryde]

On another thread, Chuck says he liked it and appears to have given it a buy recommendation.

I havn't had any of the OFBB's yet but recently bouight the 08' on Josh's recommendation.

Well, I thought the 07 was like... really rich, deep birthday cake with fruits and chocolate. thick. it was a special occasion kind of thing, somewhat spicy, sweet, deep- easy to drown in. I loved it. I'm going to go with Josh's recommendation and also pick up a bottle of the 08 when I have a chance...

[independant]

Well this is a huge disappointment. I was planning on buying an extra bottle of this to hold for me son's 21st birthday. I can see it now we sit down to have our first pour together and I produce this crap you smell that son that is what you smelled like as a baby. Lol. Oh well now I can look forward to hunting down a SB with his birth date.

[ShewDawg]

I had some at the KBF Gala and enjoyed it. It had different flavors than the 08, but good none the less. Now, I will need to go back and do some more extensive testing.

Honestly, everyone seemed to be coming back to it and they were constantly opening new cases of it to keep up with demand. The other folks around me liked it as well, but take it for what's it worth. If you have liked the last couple of OFBB versions, I think you will enjoy this as well.

[OscarV]

:deadhorse:

I hate to beat a dead horse but this needs to be said.

I tried it again today and yes, as I originally said you can pick up notes of apples, ouzo and Nestles Quick, but you have to take small sips and wait and wait and search for it.

Another way to describe it is, imagine drinking a bourbon thru a hot wool blanket.

It truley tastes like that.

Old Forester, Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniels are just different branches from the same tree.

Early Times on the rocks is their best offering.

[Josh]

:deadhorse:

I hate to beat a dead horse but this needs to be said.

I tried it again today and yes, as I originally said you can pick up notes of apples, ouzo and Nestles Quick, but you have to take small sips and wait and wait and search for it.

Another way to describe it is, imagine drinking a bourbon thru a hot wool blanket.

It truley tastes like that.

Old Forester, Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniels are just different branches from the same tree.

Early Times on the rocks is their best offering.

a more moderate review, but still not a great one:

http://www.drinkhacker.com/2009/09/21/review-old-forester-birthday-bourbon-2009-edition/

It's telling that this lukewarm review was the best one they could find to put on their facebook page.

That said, you my man Oscar but I gotta strongly disagree re: the Old Forester. I think it, esp the Signature, is the best bargain in American whiskey, period. WR is a nice pour as well.

I'm not going to defend Jack tho.:blush:

[funknik]

I don't have any love of the B-F line, as many know, but I did like the sip of OFBB '08 I had. I think the 86 and the Signature especially are harsh and young and not to my taste.

I will be buying the 2009 OFBB if I find a bottle, it seems to be the best that B-F has to offer.

[smokinjoe]

I opened this up, and have been working on it the last two nights. I don't detect anything that I would consider "off". I didn't get the diapers, but there was a pretty big initial hit of alcohol. It eventually, wafted off. Mrs. Smokinjoe pulled a light lemony character in the nose. I got a little light floral smell. Maybe, like dried flowers or even talcum powder? Are you guys sure you're not confusing diapers, with the Diaper Genie, and it's odor fighting inserts? Nice enough, through the palate. The Old Forester profile does come through, here. It does, though, finish very dry. A goodly amount of wood. This is not a problem for me, as I don't mind very aged and dry bourbons.

All in all, it definitely is not my favorite OFBB. But, it is drinkable. I would agree that it's not one of their best efforts, but they've had plently of those, and they do intend for each year to be "different". So, maybe this 2009 iteration might not be for some, but I don't think it will be offensive to many.

[whgaunce@alltel.]

I certainly am no expert on bourbon though I do try to purchase some of every distiller's brand. It seems to me that the issue should be the great variety that we can enjoy at this time. I detect a bias against Brown-Forman in many of the responses. If you visit the distilleries on a regular basis, as I do, you will find stinkers at every one from time to time whether it be Buffalo Trace experimental collection or Red Stag or Evan Williams honey liquer. Vive le difference! Regardless of our individual tastes, it is a great time to be a bourbon lover!

P.S. Latest bourbon purchased: Elmer T. Lee 90th Birthday bottle, Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit, Knob Creek Bourbon Festifal bottling.