Dusty detioration

[bad_scientist]

So I have had the Old Forester BiB before at my local bar, and it was excellent the 3 times I had it. I got lucky and found some Old Forester 86 proofs from '84 yesterday, cracked one open last night, and found it to be utterly delicious, matching the profile of the BiB but with a little less heat.

However, today it tastes like Elmer's glue, absolutely disgusting. I opened an Old Fitzgerald Prime from '83 yesterday, as well, and that tastes pretty much the same as it did yesterday. Has anyone experienced something like this? Since I got a bunch of 200 ml bottles, I will survive if I share the OF BiB with friends and drain one the night I open it, but I am surprised at the rapid decline after opening.

[callmeox]

Did you only get the Elmer's glue taste once? It could be an off palate day and not the bourbon. Give it a few days and try it again.

Stranger things have happened.

[T Comp]

So I have had the Old Forester BiB before at my local bar, and it was excellent the 3 times I had it. I got lucky and found some Old Forester 86 proofs from '84 yesterday, cracked one open last night, and found it to be utterly delicious, matching the profile of the BiB but with a little less heat.

However, today it tastes like Elmer's glue, absolutely disgusting. I opened an Old Fitzgerald Prime from '83 yesterday, as well, and that tastes pretty much the same as it did yesterday. Has anyone experienced something like this? Since I got a bunch of 200 ml bottles, I will survive if I share the OF BiB with friends and drain one the night I open it, but I am surprised at the rapid decline after opening.

I've had many dusties or currents open for a year or more including 200 ml and pint bottles and never experienced this. I've had discussions with others here about open bottle changes and I'm just not a big believer because I don't really detect it much. I'm aware of the science and that less volume equal more oxidation and reports of the whiskey changing and how folks purposefully empty bottles to get an effect but for me the first drop is pretty much the same as the last. That being said, I did recently purchase some Bloxygen as insurance for my more valuable dusties open more than a year .

[bad_scientist]

Did you only get the Elmer's glue taste once? It could be an off palate day and not the bourbon. Give it a few days and try it again.

Stranger things have happened.

Definitely could be. I had a WTRB, and it tasted fine, but that's just so different from most bourbons, it likely isn't much of an indicator of an altered palate.

I just opened the OGD BiB, distilled 1980, bottled 1988. Lots of butterscotch, not at all like the new stuff.

[Enoch]

Did you only get the Elmer's glue taste once? It could be an off palate day and not the bourbon. Give it a few days and try it again.

Stranger things have happened.

I agree it may be a palate issue. I have opened many bottles of OF BiB from that era and and not had that problem. I have an open bottle of of OF BiB from 1982 and it has been open for six months. Just tried it and it taste fine. Also, There are times where a bottle taste great...few days later, no so much...then a few days after that it taste good again.

[bad_scientist]

Yep, the OGD is tasting like glue, too, so it must be me. I don't get it with any of the newer stuff I have, so it's probably something about the way the old stuff was made that's just hitting me wrong. Good thing we're in the 21st century and I can check out some good scotch, Four Roses, Pappy van Winkle, William Larue Weller, etc. to see how my palate is on any given night

[c2walker]

Definitely could be. I had a WTRB, and it tasted fine, but that's just so different from most bourbons, it likely isn't much of an indicator of an altered palate.

I just opened the OGD BiB, distilled 1980, bottled 1988. Lots of butterscotch, not at all like the new stuff.

Well, your palate is working just fine for the OGD! ND OGD tastes more like butterscotch to me than butterscotch does.

[p_elliott]

I would also say it's your palate, somethings taste great one day and not so good on another and then they will be fine again. Foods have a big influence on this, I drink a lot of WT 101 but spicy food make it hot and undrinkable. On Those days I go for wheater or maybe an Irish whiskey. Certain spices set it off more so than others I think I have read garlic is one of them. I know with me the longer it has been since I have ate anything the better the bourbon taste.

[bad_scientist]

Well, your palate is working just fine for the OGD! ND OGD tastes more like butterscotch to me than butterscotch does.

No kidding! This is not what I expected at all. I thought it was going to be a sweet rye punch, like the new stuff is, but it's quite the pussycat. It also has a peppery finish that's different from most bourbons I've had.

Geez, Walker, is there any great whiskey you HAVEN'T had?

[bad_scientist]

I would also say it's your palate, somethings taste great one day and not so good on another and then they will be fine again. Foods have a big influence on this, I drink a lot of WT 101 but spicy food make it hot and undrinkable. On Those days I go for wheater or maybe an Irish whiskey. Certain spices set it off more so than others I think I have read garlic is one of them. I know with me the longer it has been since I have ate anything the better the bourbon taste.

Yeah, I can't figure out what was causing it, but it must have been. All of my dusties tasted nasty yesterday (except the OF Prime), and it couldn't have been related to rapid deterioration because I'd had some of them open for months without noticing any recent changes. I got scared because I truly love the dusty Old Foresters and I didn't want them taken away from me!

Anyway, next time this happens, I won't panic Thanks for the help, everyone!

[c2walker]

Geez, Walker, is there any great whiskey you HAVEN'T had?

Plenty! It doesn't hurt that many of the board members here are extraordinarily generous. My personal collection is tiny...just the way my soon to be wife likes (read: requires) it to be!

[jinenjo]

I've had my share of Forester BIB and find the 86 proof to be significantly inferior. This, and OGD 86 proof is also less than satisfying--I don't know why. Anyone know? Guess it's just the fact it's not bonded.

Old Taylor 86 and other dusties are usually tasty, but those two have always been consistently blah.

[nivto]

I've had my share of Forester BIB and find the 86 proof to be significantly inferior. This, and OGD 86 proof is also less than satisfying--I don't know why. Anyone know?

Interesting, I may be in the minority here, but I prefer the Old Forester 86 profile to the BiB.

I do agree with you on ND OGD 86. Not as satisfying to me as it seems to be to others. Love the BiB, though.

[bad_scientist]

I like the Old Forester BiB quite a bit more than the 86 proof, but they're all pretty good to me. Which years of the 86 have you guys had? I have bottles from '84 and '88 open, and they have little in common except the label and the general butterscotch flavor, maybe because the label changed distilleries in the mid-'80s.

Never had the 86 ND OGD, but the BiB is pretty nice and well-rounded.

[unclebunk]

I agree it may be a palate issue. I have opened many bottles of OF BiB from that era and and not had that problem. I have an open bottle of of OF BiB from 1982 and it has been open for six months. Just tried it and it taste fine. Also, There are times where a bottle taste great...few days later, no so much...then a few days after that it taste good again.

I'm guessing you're on to something here. I've had precisely the same experience on several occasions and ultimately determined that it wasn't the whiskey, it was me.