Old Forester 1870, 1897, 1910 and 1920 reviewed and ranked to help guide your purchasing decision.
About Old Forester's Whiskey Row
The Whiskey Row series was originally launched in 2014 by Old Forester to provide a premium bourbon experience that represent it's 150 year-old distilling lineage. Each expression's taste profile is unique and developed to highlight a key moment in Old Forester's history.
There are four bottles that make up the Whisky Row Series:
Old Forester 1870 "Original Batch"
Old Forester 1897 "Bottled-in-Bond"
Old Forester 1910 "Old Fine Whiskey"
Old Forester 1920 "Prohibition Style Whiskey"
Like many premium offerings from other prominent distillers, you can expect to pay a little more for one of these bottles, and some are easier to find than others. To help you decide what bottle to hunt down first, we decided to do a side-by-side tasting of each bottle to see how they compare.
To make sure we did our homework thoroughly, we conducted three tastings over a two week period. Below is everything we think you need to know about each Whiskey Row expression and how they compare to one another.
Old Forester 1870 Original Batch
Availability: Widely Available
Brand Owner: Brown-Forman
Category: Mid/Top Shelf
Released: 2014
Age: Non-Age-Stated
Proof: 90
MSRP: $44.99
1870 Tasting Notes
Nose: Notes of caramel, brown sugar, charred oak, and rye spice are the most dominate. There's a surprising amount of heat that's noticeable.
Palate: Mouthfeel is on the thin to light side. Notes of Oak, caramel, and rye are the most prominent and blend together nicely. Subtle floral notes make their presence felt in the mid palate.
Finish: Oak and rye are dominate followed by notes of baking spice. There's a short and subtle warmth to this bottle that almost feels gentle in it's approach.
Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond
Availability: Widely Available
Brand Owner: Brown-Forman
Category: Mid/Top Shelf
Released: 2015
Age: Minmum 4 Years
Proof: 100
MSRP: $49.99
1897 Tasting Notes
Nose: Notes of sweet caramel, apple, rye, and oak are noticeable right out of the glass. Overall it's a pleasant and sweet experience.
Palate: Nice mouthfeel. Robust notes of caramel, sweet oak, and vanilla move from the front to back palate. Dark fruit notes round things out nicely.
Finish: This is a bottle that leaves you with a warm glow after each sip. Notes of caramel and rye wash over you to provide an experience that's both sweet and spicy.
Old Forester 1910 Old Fine Whiskey
Availability: Moderate Availability
Brand Owner: Brown-Forman
Category: Mid/Top Shelf
Released: 2018
Age: Non-Age-Stated
Proof: 93
MSRP: $54.99
1910 Tasting Notes
Nose: Notes of Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, oak, and a little smokiness jumps out of the glass. The notes combine together to create a sweet BBQ-ish note. The experience is eyebrow raising, in the best way possible.
Palate: A creamy smooth mouthfeel greets you right away. Followed by pronounced notes of vanilla, burnt caramel, and sweet oak in the front pallet. Notes of cherry and smoked wood round the experience out.
Finish: Sweet oak, smoked wood char, and brown sugar round out the experience with a healthy amount of warmth. It's a unique bourbon experience that leaves a lingering impression.
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
Availability: Widely Available
Brand Owner: Brown-Forman
Category: Mid/Top Shelf
Released: 2015
Age: Non-Age-Stated
Proof: 115
MSRP: $59.99
1920 Tasting Notes
Nose: Notes of dark fruit and wood spice hit first. Followed by burnt caramel and subtle hints of rye. A little heat is noticeable but it helps bring everything together to provide a memorable experience.
Palate: This is a bourbon that knows how to make a statement. It's mouthfeel is oily and coats your mouth with strong notes of dark fruit, burnt caramel, and wood spice. There's a wide range of secondary notes that provide a complex and unique experience that's somehow balanced and very enjoyable.
Finish: The oily nature of this bourbon provides a long lasting experience that's full of sweet dark fruit, brown sugar, and wood spice. Its 115 proof shines through, providing a complex array of secondary notes that linger for just the right amount of time after each sip.
Whiskey Row Bottle Rankings
If there's one thing we've learned during this comparison review, it's that Old Forester's Whiskey Row delivers on providing a premium bourbon experience. If we were to head to the store today and could only buy one of these bottles, here's how we'd prioritize our purchasing decision.
#1 - 1910 Old Fine Whiskey
Final Thoughts: 1910 arguably provides the the most unique taste profile in the Whiskey Row series. It has a unique sweet smokiness to it that's unlike any other bourbon we've reviewed at BRBNRY. If you're someone who enjoys whiskeys with a thick and creamy mouthful and unique taste profiles, this is the bottle for you.
Value: Old Forester 1910's suggested retail price of $54.99 is a great value for such a high quality and unique bourbon experience.
#2 - 1920 Prohibition Style
Final Thoughts: 1920 Prohibition Style is the boldest and most complex of the Whiskey Row series. If you're someone who likes to sit down and spend time dissecting the nuances of good bourbon, it's hard to go wrong with this bottle.
Value: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style is a great value at its suggested MSRP of $59.99. It's a high proof bourbon that delivers a unique and complex experience with bold tasting notes.
#3 - 1897 Bottled-in-Bond
Final Thoughts: Out of all the Whiskey Row bottles 1897 Bottled-in-Bond surprised us the most during this comparison review. Its tasting notes are robust and full, it has a great mouthfeel, and provides a memorable finish. If you're a fan of Old Forester's standard bourbon offerings don't pass up this bottle.
Value: At $49.99 Old Forester 1897 Bottled-in-Bond is a good buy and may even deserve "sleeper" status among the Whiskey Row series.
#4 - 1870 Original Batch
Final Thoughts: Old Forester 1870 Original has what most folks would describe as a traditional bourbon taste profile. Of the four Whiskey Row expressions, it's the lowest proof, has the lightest mouthfeel, and has the shortest finish.
Value: At a suggested retail price of $44.99, it's hard to say 1870 is a good value for a premium offering from Old Forester. It's by no means a bad bottle, it just doesn't stand compared to it's Whiskey Row siblings.