Honouring the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897. BIB standards state that #whiskey must be aged in a federally bonded warehouse for at least 4 years, from 1 distillation season, 1 distiller, from 1 distillery & bottled at 100 Proof.
The concept behind these regulations – the idea of ‘sealed in quality’ – was something Old Forester introduced in 1870, as America’s First Bottled Bourbon.
Appearance: Very similar in colour to the 1870. Vibrant oaky orange. Not as viscous, however. A thin coating and swirl mark with some droplets and a few thin to medium legs.
Nose: Much sweeter on the nose to the 1870. Sweetshop whiff, golden syrup, Jammy Dodgers and fresh doughnuts. There’s not as much of a nose on this one. It carries the ABV too well and is subdued.
Toffee mints (or mint toffees), bitter orange and gentle oak aromas.
Palate: A much better mouthfeel compared to the 1870, nice and luxurious. This is far more balanced and ‘complete’ on the palate. Rich caramel, buttered toast, honey roasted nuts and some black pepper. I like this.
The second sip reveals that blood orange bitterness, albeit it faint. There’s also a build-up of spice: white pepper now and clove. It’s all still smothered in salted popcorn butter though.
Finish: Short to medium. The finish is a little spikey, it grabs at the back of the throat a touch. The sweetness and salted popcorn linger the longest.
Overall: I much prefer this to the 1870. There’s more of a rounded ‘finished’ feel to it. The balance is just right too. I would prefer a little less of the spice build up but that’s being picky. I look forward to finishing this bottle!
