Old Forester The 117 Series Warehouse K Bourbon Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Earlier this year, Old Forrester announced a new limited edition series, The 117, named for the address of the original Old Forrester digs and current urban distillery at 117 W. Main Street on Louisville’s Whiskey Row. The series is built around the concept of giving Master Taster Jackie Zykan reign to highlight different aspects of how bourbon is made and matures. Thus, the first installment was High Angel’s Share, drawing on barrels that had lost a particularly high proportion to evaporation.

This is the second go-around for Zykan’s series, called Warehouse K. This almost seven decades old, heat cycled building has a reputation among Old Forrester diehards akin to that of Warehouse C enjoys among Buffalo Trace’s followers. Barrels were pulled from each floor, except the 4th. Warehouse K has appeared in single barrel bottlings before, but this is the first time it was been embodied in a pan-building batching. Old Forrester 117 Warehouse K has been bottled at 110 proof in 375ml bottles, and all 117 Series releases are for sale at the distillery only.

The Bourbon
A pour of Warehouse K has a bronzed look in the glass, with a scent of butterscotch and vanilla, underscored by dry, toasty oak and peppermint. The flavor evolves into crackerjacks–rich caramel and hot, popped sweet corn–again underscored by those mint and toasted oak notes. The finish jumps off sweet, before rapidly fading down to leave behind oaken spices.

At 110 proof, it’s a pretty stiff bourbon, but I don’t think any whiskey drinker meriting the description would find it a hot pour. That coupled to its profile gives it all the characteristics that any lover of a strong belt of whiskey will enjoy.

The Price
That 375ml bottle costs $50.