Tried Forged Oak tonight....

[El Vino]

I had a second, bigger pour Friday night. I still like it! everything is well integrated, nothing overpowering. It tastes good!

Try a SBS with EC12. To you, is it worth the premium?

[texaspete]

el vino, there are bourbons in the 30-50 range that I enjoy just as much. Blantons, 4RSB, Bookers, etc. I know that Forged Oak is supposedly heaven hill sourced, but I haven't had the pleasure of trying EC12 yet and comparing the family similarities. I probably wouldn't rush out and buy this again, but I'm not sorry I did.

[TunnelTiger]

One of my initial mistakes when I started my bourbon journey was purchasing numerous "limited" bottles because if they were limited they had to be good right?

Well my palate wasn't ready for them and I overlooked some of the best bourbon available on the bottom and middle shelves.

[Sean Bond]

So doing the math, if you bought one of the two and the seller had an opinion on it, he bought the other one? I doubt it. I think your store owner has never tasted it. In a liquor store, trust no one.

My theory was that he'd tasted it before getting the bottles, like RWBadley said; the guy behind the counter (I believe) is the owner, and he picks out his own barrels of things occasionally, so I wouldn't be surprised if he got a taster or something. But I wouldn't go based exclusively on someone's opinion, anyway, unless I knew them personally. Also for what it's worth, he said it was good after I purchased it, so I don't think it was a sales pitch (but who knows).

[El Vino]

el vino, there are bourbons in the 30-50 range that I enjoy just as much. Blantons, 4RSB, Bookers, etc. I know that Forged Oak is supposedly heaven hill sourced, but I haven't had the pleasure of trying EC12 yet and comparing the family similarities. I probably wouldn't rush out and buy this again, but I'm not sorry I did.

Unlike you, I am sorry I threw $75 at this.

[Sean Bond]

Unlike you, I am sorry I threw $75 at this.

What'd you not like about it/feel disappointed about?Was it not worth the difference in price, or did you just not think it was any good? I only ask because I'm curious on how this stuff is received.

[Chris m]

I've gone back to my bottle three times and have yet to find anything good about it. It tastes like watered down oak with a bitter palate and sour finish.

I wonder how consistent these bottlings are. I've heard people rave about LP, but did a blind SBS of Rhetoric/LP and found them to be so similar that any difference in quality was negligible, certainly not worth the hoopla that LP received. FO, is just not good. Barterhouse is polarized, people seem to love it or hate it. OB...well, he seems to be the most consistent of the bunch as being over-oaked and bitter. I realize you can say this about any bottle of whiskey--you know, subjectivity etc. it just seems magnified among these orphans.

[El Vino]

What'd you not like about it/feel disappointed about?Was it not worth the difference in price, or did you just not think it was any good? I only ask because I'm curious on how this stuff is received.

[garbanzobean]

I honestly owe Diageo quite a big thanks for administering the coup de grace on my previous need to try every limited release out there. Hundreds of dollars saved and probably dozens of hours of driving better spent enjoying what I can easily obtain.

[BourbonGuy]

Not worth the price. I allowed my expectations to go too far. You know: limited release, good early buzz, an age range that would suggest less wood influence than either of the first two Orphan Barrel releases. I looked hard and jumped on the first bottle I saw. I think it has been chill filtered and diluted too far down. It tastes thin and has had any depth of flavor stripped out. From the barrel, I would guess that it was decent enough whiskey: flavors are good. But for $75, I expect something more that a solid mid-shelf experience.

I saw a bottle on the shelf. They claim list is $92 and they sell it for $79.23. From what I am reading, I may try and find another bottle of Elijah Craig Barrel proof for $54 that the Forged Oak.

[TXNewDude]

Bumped into one for $72. Curiosity got the best of me...will have a taste tonight.

[texaspete]

I had a friend over last night. He is not a big bourbon guy. We drank Old Weller Antique, FRSB, and forged oak. while not a blind comparison, he'd never heard of any of them, and I didn't tell him much of anything about the three. He plainly declared that he liked the Forged Oak best. Thought that was interesting because I don't have a clear favorite out of the three when I take price out of the equation. Obviously when I factor the cost back in OWA is my pick.

[El Vino]

I saw a bottle on the shelf. They claim list is $92 and they sell it for $79.23. From what I am reading, I may try and find another bottle of Elijah Craig Barrel proof for $54 that the Forged Oak.

I'd take ECBP every time.

[texaspete]

I'd take ECBP every time.

I really wish I could find this in SC. No one can seem to get it. Even the stores that do a decent job of getting limited release stuff.

[suntour]

Trying to think of another consumer product that has the pun "JOKE" in it meant as at least a light-hearted poke at the person buying the product and its real difficult.

[Enoch]

I really wish I could find this in SC. No one can seem to get it. Even the stores that do a decent job of getting limited release stuff.

[TXNewDude]

Good whiskey; enjoyable. Wish it were higher proof. As a result, not special enough to search for another bottle at $70. Equals a $40-$50 bottle IMO

[texaspete]

Good whiskey; enjoyable. Wish it were higher proof. As a result, not special enough to search for another bottle at $70. Equals a $40-$50 bottle IMO

There you go, couldn't have said it better myself.

[sip]

don't care much as to exact location, but has anyone seen this in IL? TX that seems ridiculous though i am new to this. is that a common practice?

Binny's on North Ave in Elmwood Park just got theirs in this week. Some bottles left.

[amg]

Looks like this has finally hit the Indianapolis area.

[KyleCBreese]

Was able to try it a bar this weekend for $13. I'm glad I didn't pay $70 for the bottle. It was decent, with lots of vanilla, but it was very one-dimensional and thin. I saw some more today at $65, but I think I will be skipping this one.

[yemenmocha]

Acquired at $59/bottle at Costco today. Disappointed in similar respects as others mentioned, especially it drinking like a much higher proof bourbon with no outweighing delightful flavors or aromas to seduce me into buying more bottles at this price.

[BFerguson]

Acquired at $59/bottle at Costco today. Disappointed in similar respects as others mentioned, especially it drinking like a much higher proof bourbon with no outweighing delightful flavors or aromas to seduce me into buying more bottles at this price.

I wish I could find anything interesting there. I'd love to see it show up.

B

[BigBoldBully]

I'm glad to see you enjoyed Forged Oak. The consensus seems to echo your positiveness about it. I probably won't be trying this one though due to its high cost.

Fascinating. To the extent a consensus is forming I was under the impression that it holds the Forged Oak to be mediocre and not worth the money.

[stickly]

Fascinating. To the extent a consensus is forming I was under the impression that it holds the Forged Oak to be mediocre and not worth the money.

I tried it last week at a bar while on a business trip, and i concur with this, VERY underwhelming. There are bottles 1/3 of the price that are much better. I would not buy a bottle at msrp. While I'm at it, I was pretty underwhelmed with the Lost Prophet I tried as well. It leads me to take a pass on any Orphan Barrels I might find based on these two tastings.