The nose starts off nutty (think cracked, toasted wheat) before a whiff of orange marmalade arrives. Caramel and campfire balance each other before sweet corn, golden raisin and honey join the party.
But does such enthusiasm truly reflect the health of the bourbon category? Are events like the Bourbon Festival and WhiskeyFest and myriad other whiskey-centric events around the country truly indicative of the category’s health?
This is a dense bourbon, and deep, dark oak tones dominate and before cooked stone fruit, dried figs and baking spices roll across the palate, sweetening the whole.
“These are not delicate little Scotches–and I love delicate little Scotches. But this is fat ass Kentucky-style whiskey.”
On the nose, there is every classic Old Forester aroma: a little acetone and banana, citrus peel and deeply charred oak. Juicy Fruit Gum is all over this, as are surprises like a chocolate-coated cream-filled donut, candy bar (nougat and milk chocolate), nutmeg and cocoa powder.
I was asked to pick a few favorites for Bourbon & Banter readers who will be attending this sold-out event. The list below is not in order of picks liked best, rather it partially reflects the order in which we visited distilleries to taste them.
This bourbon just never runs out of gas. Every sip is a revelation, a new view into a complex whiskey providing countless vistas.
Loads of baking spice, blackberries and cooked stone fruit cruise in on a wave of honey and an undercurrent of oak. It’s sturdy but not fire-breathing hot as the nose suggested it would be.
This feather-light whiskey is a malt drinker’s bourbon, which, based on conversations I’ve had with Zamanian, who is a Scotch lover, may well be what he was after.
But that’s not as fun as pointing to that classic nose of bubble gum, dried flowers and fruit pastries. The barrel has a say, of course, introducing spice and tannin sotto voce, while letting tropical fruit and bruleed sugar speak a bit louder.
