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Bourbon

2013 Old Forester 1st Bottled Birthday Bourbon [REVIEW]

Very rich nose that is hard to decipher. Time rewards you with this one. While the taste is full, it can get overshadowed by tannin. Thankfully, the finish sweeps in and hangs forever.

Originally posted to reddit by zillah1985

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has been flying under the radar for sometime. However, for the 2013 release, there have been some reviews in the blogosphere that have swooned over it – specifically applauding its nose. That had me worried as OFBB was pasted all over Bourbon Exchange. Flipping OFBB? Say it isn’t so! Thankfully the craze for this was muted. There are still plenty in stores in PA if you are looking to buy.

Review #55

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2013 (12 years old, 98 proof)

old-forester-birthday bourbon 2013

  • Nose: clove, bubble gum, banana, pineapple, coconut oil, chunky bar, (a mix of milk chocolate and raisin) toffee, orgeat syrup, Graham crackers
  • Taste: orchard and tropical fruits, followed by a baking spice backbone of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, then roasted almond coated with powdered dark chocolate; viscous and a lot of tannin
  • Finish: medium length of espresso, almond milk, caramel and orange juice

Overall

Very rich nose that is hard to decipher. Time rewards you with this one. While the taste is full, it can get overshadowed by tannin. Thankfully, the finish sweeps in and hangs forever, taking its time to slowly yield those delicious creamy, nutty citrus notes. If I drank this blind, I’d hazard it would be an aged rum with the tropical fruits and fiery baking spices. Unique as always, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is always a welcome release, with this one packing tons of flavor. At the very least, it is definitely better than past releases, but for my tastes, I think this one falls short for its heavy tannin. Which is why it underscored my favorite last year, the 2012 Birthday release.

Rating: Epic (94/100)

Comparison: 2012 (95/100) > 2013 (94/100) > 2011 (90/100)

From Their Press Release

For more than 140 years, Old Forester has been crafted using the time-honored methods established by George Garvin Brown, the founder of Louisville-based Brown-Forman and Old Forester, America’s First Bottled Bourbon™. To commemorate Mr. Brown’s September 2nd birthday, Old Forester annually releases an expression of its highly-acclaimed bourbon and this year marks the 12th limited edition release.

Available in full here

By whiskystache

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