Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond
Old Forester · Brown-Forman Distillery
Old Forester's BiB expression is a masterclass in what the Bottled in Bond Act was designed to guarantee: transparency and quality. It delivers complexity well beyond its price point, rewarding both neat sipping and cocktail work. A dependable workhorse with real depth.
Nose
Immediate caramel and ripe cherry, followed by a gentle wave of brown spices and toasted oak. A butterscotch sweetness sits underneath, grounding the sharper fruit notes.
Palate
Full-bodied entry with dark caramel and baking spices up front, then a mid-palate shift to charred oak and leather. The mouthfeel is oily and substantial, carrying flavors of cherry and vanilla into the back palate.
Finish
Medium-long, with lingering charred oak and a whisper of tobacco. The sweetness fades to a dry, spice-driven close.
- Mash Bill
- 72% Corn, 18% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
- Barrel Type
- New charred American oak
- Bottled in Bond
- Yes
- Single Barrel
- No
- Wheated
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
The Ledger — 2 oz Old Forester 1897 · 0.75 oz sweet vermouth · 0.25 oz Amaro Nonino · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Stir over ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with a brandied cherry.
Food Pairing
Smoked pork belly sliders with a honey-mustard glaze
Produced at Brown-Forman's distillery on Whiskey Row in downtown Louisville, this expression honors the 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act — a law Old Forester's founder George Garvin Brown actively championed to protect whiskey integrity.
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