Old Forester Signature (100 Proof) Bourbon Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B

Old Forester Signature
(Credit: Richard Thomas)

I don’t actually know anyone other than myself who ever refers to Old Forester Signature by that name, and I only do so in a formal context. The word “Signature” doesn’t appear on the bottle, and the name refers to the signature of Brown-Forman founder George Garvin Brown. More commonly, the two basic Old Forester bourbons are referred to by their proof: Old Forester 86 and Old Forester 100, the latter being this one.

Old Forester is made from Brown-Forman’s staple mash bill, a thoroughly middle of the road bourbon recipe of 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley. As a mature, fairly robust bourbon that sits squarely in the traditional flavor profile of that whiskey, I’ve long regarded it as a major bargain at it’s price point. It’s one of those whiskeys that should appear on “bang for your buck” lists more often that it does.

The Bourbon
The scent is full of brown sugar and caramel, accented with a little cocktail cherry. The spicy note comes across as sarsparilla, and the whiskey has a modestly earthy, bitter, coffee note to round things out.

The bourbon has a creamy feeling on the palate, and a flavor runs pretty much as what the nose would suggest. It’s only on the finish that things take a turn, as the whiskey turns peppery and to toasted oak in its closing.

The Price
Officially, you should pay $30 for a 750ml bottle for this (it comes various sizes, including the 1.75 liter), but it can often be found for somewhat less.