The continuation of the Joy of Bourbon Journey.
Written by: Josh Abebe
Nothing like tasting bourbon created by a pharmaceutical salesman, that was originally used for medicinal purposes..but then again, wasn’t all bourbon medicine, and isn’t it still (haha, puns)? Old Forester located on Whiskey Row, oozes history. From the moment you walk in, and see the copper still, to each pass through in the facility, it is a welcoming blend of the old and the new. The old ways of distilling, and the new modern downtown of Whiskey Row. I love that they moved back downtown in 2018, and as a result is the only bourbon continually sold by the same company, before, during and after prohibition (facts). Also, in this location they are the only one on Whiskey Row, downtown, that has an active cooperage making barrels, copper hoops and other items required for barreling the bourbon, where they also char the barrels. It’s pretty cool.
We didn’t do a full tour + tasting, and that probably impacted my overall score, but it was awesome, so maybe it didn’t.
Old Forester, DSP-KY-414
Atmosphere - 4
I don’t know why, but I love this place (I do know why, see the previous few paragraphs). From the large center column copper still, the large store, to the George’s Bar, it’s a lot of fun. You can do a tour, walk parts of the facility yourself, or just go to George’s Bar. I enjoyed the atmosphere a ton.
Education - 3.5
I overheard parts of the tour, the educators seemed a lively bunch. They were entertaining, and appeared to be very knowledgeable. With a large commercial brand like this, they really have to be. The bartenders up on George’s Bar, are very knowledgeable as well, and my company definitely knew what they were talking about. I was pleasantly surprised by Old Forester, as I must admit, I didn’t realize this was as high a quality bourbon as it is.
Overall Rating - 3.5
If you’re downtown, and have an hour or two to kill, head on over to Old Forester, you won’t be disappointed. This place is a blast, and the bourbon slaps too. I’m definitely adding Old Forester to my collection.
More reviews and adventures to come!