Goose1023 Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 (edited) Hi all, Have a birthday coming up later next month while on a trip to Louisville and thought it would be kinda cool to grab a bottle of OFBB as a memento if the opportunity arises (obviously this would be at a retail store and only if the price isn't too exorbitant). I had the opportunity to try the 2017 release earlier last month and really enjoyed it, so I'm curious to see what other's take is on some of the other recent releases (ie. 2017-2021 releases)? Which ones have been your favorites and which would you pass on? I'm in NC (ABC state) and the opportunity to purchase one of these at retail is virtually impossible so I don't mind paying some extra $$$ to grab one... Edited March 11, 2022 by Goose1023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob_Loblaw Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 I have 2019 open now and it’s freaking amazing. I’ve tried ‘16 & ‘17 and both were underwhelming so I personally would not seek out either of those. I haven’t tried but have heard from trusted palates that ‘18 & ‘21 are pretty good and ‘20 not so good. In L-Ville now and unfortunately the bar pour scene appears to be just as inflated as the rest of the market. I think BBC had a few open years and I don’t recall actual price, but overall they were inflated enough that nobody in our group bought anything. I’ll guess a pour will set you back at least $100. There is a full bottle of ‘21 in a glass case at Aloft hotel with no price tag, but given that the Four Gate bottles were $450 & $480 I think you would be looking at well over a grand. Several bottles on display at Old Forester, but not for sale. Not sure if they have a tasting bar. There was nothing at EW Experience today but we were told in a few days there may be some EW12 or the new Derby bottle both of which are distillery only and could be a nice alternative. The 12yr in particular is very good. Last year we did a pour of the 23yr at the bar which was pretty special. hope that helps. Happy Birthday and good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulO Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 I get the impression very few of those get doled out to retail stores and only during a brief time frame once a year. When they arrive an angry mob is waiting. Probably goes straight into a back room. So your chance is pretty slim. I'm not saying don't look. On the other hand, you could see if any stores have a single barrel selection of Old Forester. There are also some great value pours seldom seen outside or far from KY too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottledInBond Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 Expect $500 or much more to buy one in a store at this time of year. I haven’t tasted any year of OFBB that would be worth that price to me. Some years have been pretty lackluster as well. Just my $0.02 but if I were going to pay gouge pricing at a retail store I’d much rather get a bottle of the OF 150th anniversary releases if they could be found. Might be similar chances as finding OFBB at this point. More people look for OFBB because they know it, but as a generalized statement the OF150 is better than OFBB across the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.B. Babington Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 back when could always find them on shelf in trips to tennessee, we actually drank them, OMG, what?!?!. at the time of unrefined palate, I found them underwhelming, as noted above. It was okay, good, just didn't meat expectations from all the hype. Now that I have different expectations, I think would still find it an underwhelming drink. But that's just me, there's others out there that love them. And caveat, I've only had maybe 5 over two decades of sipping and nothing from last several years. I've 2005 and 2007 open around here somewhere. Person's individual tastes, and the day of the week, and release year make big difference. Bottom shelf bartons really hits it somedays, other days it's so sweet I'd rather grind and swallow rock candy. 13 hours ago, Bob_Loblaw said: I have 2019 open now and it’s freaking amazing. I’ve tried ‘16 & ‘17 and both were underwhelming so I personally would not seek out either of those. ...I haven’t tried but have heard from trusted palates that ‘18 & ‘21 are pretty good and ‘20 not so good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose1023 Posted March 11, 2022 Author Share Posted March 11, 2022 This is great info; much appreciated! Figured the chances of finding one would be very slim, however if I do come across one at a “decent” price (comfortably around 500-600 based on the $1300 online prices I’ve seen lately) I’d probably still grab it for sentimental reasons as I’ve been fortunate enough to have had quite a bit to celebrate this year. We are doing a day in Bardstown to do a tasting at Willett, so I figured maybe seeing if Toddy’s had some might be an option (again, at a “decent” price). Anyone ever had any luck there with premium stuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 19 minutes ago, Goose1023 said: This is great info; much appreciated! Figured the chances of finding one would be very slim, however if I do come across one at a “decent” price (comfortably around 500-600 based on the $1300 online prices I’ve seen lately) I’d probably still grab it for sentimental reasons as I’ve been fortunate enough to have had quite a bit to celebrate this year. We are doing a day in Bardstown to do a tasting at Willett, so I figured maybe seeing if Toddy’s had some might be an option (again, at a “decent” price). Anyone ever had any luck there with premium stuff? You will find nothing of interest at a decent price at that store. Full secondary now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnbowljoe Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 I had one back in 2008 that I thought was fairly lackluster. Then I had the infamous 2009 “wet paper bag ” bottle. Or was the 2009 the “dirty diaper” bottle? I forget, but either way, it wasn’t very good at all. I haven’t bought an OFBB since. There is a chance I may have tasted a couple over the years, but if so, I must not have been impressed or I probably would have remebered. Biba! Joe 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulO Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 Back about 15 years ago, I found two different years side by side in a dumpy little store @ $39.99 each. I took them home. Tasting them, I thought it was just so-so Bourbon. The flavor of both were on the dry side, otherwise sort of bland. Even $39.99 was a bit of a reach. At the time, I thought the contemporary OF Signature much tastier regardless of price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goose1023 Posted March 11, 2022 Author Share Posted March 11, 2022 1 hour ago, flahute said: You will find nothing of interest at a decent price at that store. Full secondary now. Figured as much. Again, I'm from an ABC state so the only real shot we have at finding something like this would be online and at ridiculous prices anyway. That being said, are there any retail spots that I should check out besides Toddy's that would have the potential for some good finds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnbowljoe Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 3 hours ago, flahute said: You will find nothing of interest at a decent price at that store. Full secondary now. I agree with @flahute. Toddies has changed a lot over the years. And IMHO, not in a good way. I could go on a long rant, but I’ll spare y’all. Biba! Joe 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kepler Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 On 3/11/2022 at 2:18 PM, flahute said: You will find nothing of interest at a decent price at that store. Full secondary now. It sounds to me like the OP is okay with paying secondary. Not that I agree with that decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kepler Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 I personally find almost all Old Forester bourbons as needing more age. Unfortunately, the options for well aged OF bourbon are slim to nil. Birthday bourbon is the only one that I've been able to get from my local stores at retail. I have the 2017, 18, and 21 open on my bar currently. I would rank them in flavor in reverse order. So I guess OFBB is trending better now, after a well-documented down period of sub-par releases... ymmv... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kepler Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 5 minutes ago, Kepler said: I personally find almost all Old Forester bourbons as needing more age. Unfortunately, the options for well aged OF bourbon are slim to nil. Birthday bourbon is the only one that I've been able to get from my local stores at retail. I have the 2017, 18, and 21 open on my bar currently. I would rank them in flavor in reverse order. So I guess OFBB is trending better now, after a well-documented down period of sub-par releases... ymmv... P.S. Let me say also that I really, really enjoy OFBB, unlike some on here. I wish OF would get the memo and produce much more aged bourbon. The bean counters obviously run the show over at Brown-Forman: their heat-cycle warehouses undoubtedly save them a lot of money, but almost all of their bourbons (even the $55-60 OF1920 and their vaunted BP PS store picks) would benefit from another year or two in oak.. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 10 hours ago, Kepler said: P.S. Let me say also that I really, really enjoy OFBB, unlike some on here. I wish OF would get the memo and produce much more aged bourbon. The bean counters obviously run the show over at Brown-Forman: their heat-cycle warehouses undoubtedly save them a lot of money, but almost all of their bourbons (even the $55-60 OF1920 and their vaunted BP PS store picks) would benefit from another year or two in oak.. I've also historically like OFBB when others ranked it lower. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0895 Posted March 13, 2022 Share Posted March 13, 2022 On 3/11/2022 at 1:58 PM, Goose1023 said: This is great info; much appreciated! Figured the chances of finding one would be very slim, however if I do come across one at a “decent” price (comfortably around 500-600 based on the $1300 online prices I’ve seen lately) I’d probably still grab it for sentimental reasons as I’ve been fortunate enough to have had quite a bit to celebrate this year. We are doing a day in Bardstown to do a tasting at Willett, so I figured maybe seeing if Toddy’s had some might be an option (again, at a “decent” price). Anyone ever had any luck there with premium stuff? One thing to keep in mind now is that he (owner of Toddy’s) is buying bottles from people (strangers) who just walk into the store with boxes full of stuff. I’ve witnessed it firsthand while in the store. You don’t know where that bottle has been before, or what exactly is inside it. There’s a lot of money to be made on secondary bourbon right now. Some seals are easily replaced/faked. If I were going to shell out big money for a bottle, I would make damn sure I knew it came from a reputable distribution chain in a state where secondary sales to stores wasn’t legal. Even then, proceed with caution. As per your original question, 2015-2017 OFBB was just average. 1920 repeatedly beat the ‘16 in blind tastings I was part of. 2018 was really good. 2019 was fantastic. 2020 was awful. & 2021 was above average-very good/interesting. If I were hunting one down it would be’19, ‘18, ‘21, in that order and ignore the rest of the recent releases. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geclbxf Posted March 15, 2022 Share Posted March 15, 2022 On 3/13/2022 at 7:21 PM, 0895 said: One thing to keep in mind now is that he (owner of Toddy’s) is buying bottles from people (strangers) who just walk into the store with boxes full of stuff. I’ve witnessed it firsthand while in the store. You don’t know where that bottle has been before, or what exactly is inside it. There’s a lot of money to be made on secondary bourbon right now. Some seals are easily replaced/faked. If I were going to shell out big money for a bottle, I would make damn sure I knew it came from a reputable distribution chain in a state where secondary sales to stores wasn’t legal. Even then, proceed with caution. As per your original question, 2015-2017 OFBB was just average. 1920 repeatedly beat the ‘16 in blind tastings I was part of. 2018 was really good. 2019 was fantastic. 2020 was awful. & 2021 was above average-very good/interesting. If I were hunting one down it would be’19, ‘18, ‘21, in that order and ignore the rest of the recent releases. Spot on! 2020 is not work dirtying the glass, but 2021 was pretty special! Go to 21-C and have a pour of the OFSB BP - its affordable and fantastic. They had 3 diff barrel picks on the bar when I was there last weekend. They even sometimes have bottles for sale on the hotel side. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottledInBond Posted March 15, 2022 Share Posted March 15, 2022 On 3/11/2022 at 4:10 PM, Goose1023 said: Figured as much. Again, I'm from an ABC state so the only real shot we have at finding something like this would be online and at ridiculous prices anyway. That being said, are there any retail spots that I should check out besides Toddy's that would have the potential for some good finds? If you are really comfortable paying gouge pricing, you might find the bottle you want at Justin’s House of Bourbon in Lexington. It will not be a good deal and most of us on this site wouldn’t pay their prices, but decent chance you can find something specific. For more general comments on finding good bottles in KY, do not go there expecting to find anything particularly interesting & affordable at any retail store at this point. That is over. There are too many people chasing the limited stuff, both visitors like yourself as well as locals. As an example, for many years my in-laws were living in Louisville and I would buy them whiskey where I live (MN) and bring it to them there, because they couldn’t find anything interesting there anymore, even with a few relationships. Will you find a few things that are KY only releases? Maybe, but those also may not be things that excite you. You might find a barrel pick or two in stores, but again if it is a sought-after label barrel picks at hood stores sell out right away these days. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that if you drive around all day and hit a dozen or so liquor stores in KY, you might be lucky to find one bottle of Eagle Rare, maybe a bottle of WSR, and maybe a decent barrel pick of Russel’s Reserve or BT, OF, etc. Anything more than that type of expectation will be serious gouge prices if you see it. If you want an interesting bottle or two, depending on your taste preferences and budget, your best chances are currently at distillery gift shops. HH offers some possibilities, with things like EW23 (or EW12 which can be delicious) at the EW Experience, WHH or HHSS releases at the heritage center, and once in a while something else interesting at the Heritage center. Some people also like the EC ‘grenades’ there. Willett can once in a while offer an interesting WFE bottle but it is very hit or miss, and has been more missed for me over recent years. Several times I’ve been there with no WFE bottles available for sale at all. Four Roses can have some tasty single barrels available at the distillery location, but not always. Do not go to their Cox’s Creek location expecting to find anything interesting because there will not be any at all. You don’t find special releases at Maker’s Mark but it’s a cool tour and some people enjoy getting to dip their own bottle. You don’t find limited bottles at Beam or BT, but BT has good tours. At Wild Turkey you can find tasty RR barrels and you may get to meet one of the Russels depending on the day and get a bottle signed. You may not be interested in any of that so feel free to ignore. My $0.02, I enjoy the hell out of walking through a rickhouse and smelling the angel’s share on a nice day. It is an experience that can’t be duplicated anywhere and is my favorite part of visiting distilleries. Take the time to really soak that in. Some of the tours are gimmicky with marketing videos and bourbon 101 education and standardized tastings of their staple brands and they annoy me at this point, but that old wood and those smells are amazing. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWBadley Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 I have tasted several OFBB recent years and been disappointed. The last excellent year for me was 2013. Doubtful to find one these days tho I think I still have a sealed bottle somewhere… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted March 18, 2022 Share Posted March 18, 2022 3 hours ago, RWBadley said: I have tasted several OFBB recent years and been disappointed. The last excellent year for me was 2013. Doubtful to find one these days tho I think I still have a sealed bottle somewhere… 2013 was a special year for OFBB. I bought one bottle (off the shelf actually!) and didn't know that I should have grabbed a few. Banana Foster rich flavor goodness all around. I have a few from the following years that I like just fine. It's still a great whiskey to me even if not at the 2013 level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TunnelTiger Posted April 12, 2022 Share Posted April 12, 2022 On 3/17/2022 at 7:58 PM, RWBadley said: I have tasted several OFBB recent years and been disappointed. The last excellent year for me was 2013. Doubtful to find one these days tho I think I still have a sealed bottle somewhere… Still have 2012, 2013, & 2014 in the bunker. Since i recently retired I may open one of them soon. For the last couple of years I've made OF 100 and OF rye 100 my go to's 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flahute Posted April 12, 2022 Share Posted April 12, 2022 51 minutes ago, TunnelTiger said: Still have 2012, 2013, & 2014 in the bunker. Since i recently retired I may open one of them soon. For the last couple of years I've made OF 100 and OF rye 100 my go to's Blast from the past! Good to see you sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinjoe Posted April 12, 2022 Share Posted April 12, 2022 2 hours ago, TunnelTiger said: Still have 2012, 2013, & 2014 in the bunker. Since i recently retired I may open one of them soon. For the last couple of years I've made OF 100 and OF rye 100 my go to's 2 hours ago, flahute said: Blast from the past! Good to see you sir. Indeed! Very good to see the tiger prowling these boards again! Congrats on your retirement, too! Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FasterHorses Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 Got to taste 2014 and it was a butterscotch bomb. Very nice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven s Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 On 3/13/2022 at 5:21 PM, 0895 said: One thing to keep in mind now is that he (owner of Toddy’s) is buying bottles from people (strangers) who just walk into the store with boxes full of stuff. I’ve witnessed it firsthand while in the store. You don’t know where that bottle has been before, or what exactly is inside it. There’s a lot of money to be made on secondary bourbon right now. Some seals are easily replaced/faked. If I were going to shell out big money for a bottle, I would make damn sure I knew it came from a reputable distribution chain in a state where secondary sales to stores wasn’t legal. Even then, proceed with caution. As per your original question, 2015-2017 OFBB was just average. 1920 repeatedly beat the ‘16 in blind tastings I was part of. 2018 was really good. 2019 was fantastic. 2020 was awful. & 2021 was above average-very good/interesting. If I were hunting one down it would be’19, ‘18, ‘21, in that order and ignore the rest of the recent releases. In regard to potentially "replaced/faked" bottles, I think some are shelling out for the label more than the contents anyway, so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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