A naturally fermented, powerful Rye from Old Forester — and it’s about time.
Old Forrester has about as much tradition as you can get in a Bourbon. It is a single brand of Bourbon that has been continuously available for 145 years — most of that time from the same family of craftsmen at the same distillery. Interestingly, it was the first Bourbon to be available exclusively in sealed glass bottles. There was a lot of nefarious re-bottling and dilution going on and this was a way to ensure quality and integrity. Today it is owned by Brown-Forman, available in eight different varieties and is a sister Bourbon to Woodford Reserve.
Old Forester Rye is the first Rye Whiskey to come to this historic brand — and it’s brand-spanking new. The first release was in February of 2019. Rye is notoriously hard to work with in the fermentation tanks. That’s why some most Rye Whiskey makers add at least some barley to the mix to get things started. And it’s not uncommon for some to add enzymes as well to make it easier. But this is what makes Old Forester Rye special. It has a rather unique mash bill of 65 rye, 20% barley, and 15% corn. This allows for a completely natural fermentation without additives. It’s also served at a powerful 50% ABV, so there is plenty of power for every application.
The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavors that you'll taste in Old Forester Rye and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it.
We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
You could drink this reliable rye neat, but really this whiskey is best in a rye whiskey cocktail. The spice notes are strong enough to break through in a cocktail. Best enjoyed in a rye Manhattan or whiskey spiked hot apple cider.
Ryan,
Spicy and Woody with a finish of caramel.
Ryan,
Best budget rye period. Great alone or in a cocktail, tons of flavor.
Josh,
The most consistent Rye out there. So good for under $25 per bottle
Burton,
This is a true value leader. It has delicious aromas and flavors at a great price. Worth a try.
Gabriel,
Very interesting palate that I’m still working to narrow down. Different than any other rye I’ve tried. High malted barley content that I think is what’s making this so unique. Underpriced bourbon in my opinion. Really enjoy on its own.
Nose:
-Sweet
-Airy perfume (non-chemical)
-Fruit
-Faint Apple (green)
Palate:
-Sweet
-Barley
-Rye
-Fruit
Dan,
Great Rye at this price point
Neil,
You cannot beat this rye whiskey for the price. It’s smooth, easy to sip on and you always find yourself going back for more. Holds a good finish.
Forrest,
Excellent rye and gets plus points for availability, quality, and price. Good for sipping...great for mixing.
Bryon,
I can't say that I am a fan of rye, but I gave it a try based on a recommendation. For me it is too peppery, not enough softness. I enjoy Islay scotch and complex flavors, but found that the rye just dominated too much. By the time it subsided the remaining flavors were suppressed. But if you like anise, dark cherries, molasses and rye spice, this might be right for you.
Joe,
Hearty burn. Lends nicely to a mixer. Very mild sweetness.
Matthew,
Great for Manhattans
Stephen,
Unbeatable value
Adam,
This is a FANTASTIC rye, which is an absolute STEAL for the price point. This will absolutely become a bar staple for me.
Tom,
Wow! Love it. This one blows me away at this price point. One of my favorite rye's.
Travis,
marshmallow, mellow, with a light rye finish. great in a whiskey sour or a mellow manhatton
Matthew,
Color is amber, decent legs... Nose: apple cinnamon, malt, other faint baking spices; glimmers of excellence with the apple cinnamon, but not a lot of depth... Palate: apple cinnamon sugar, rye spice, mildly sweet. Spice dominate mid-palate. Above average... Mouthfeel: Tongue coating... Finish: Lasting spice, with flashes of the apple... Overall: Nice apple cinnamon profile Rye at a great price point. No complaints at all.
Aaron,
Very good! Nice kick to it.
Christopher,
Was closer to Jack Daniels without the charcoal aftertaste.
Axel,
Great body and smooth aftertaste.
David,
For a budget rye, this is a really good one. The higher malt in the mash bill lends to a nice floral element which pairs really well when making an Old Fashioned. It's also nice drinking neat as well. The bottle opens up nicely and takes a while to turn. I've had mine for almost a year and it still tastes the same since I opened it.
David,
Meant barley instead of malt...oops!
David,
You know whiskey is good when you sniff it for 5 minutes before even taking a sip. As I was first getting into whiskey and bourbon this bottle gave me that experience. While Pikeville is my top Rye, when considering a budget rye, I'd put this ahead of George Dickel and Rittenhouse. Solid.
Dick,
One of my favorites for Manhattans
Erik,
One of the best "budget" ryes on the market. As a barely legal rye (only 51% rye mashbill) there is a lovely balance of sweetness to the spice. A "bourbon drinkers rye" through and through, if you are a bourbon drinker looking to branch into rye then this is the perfect choice.
Michael,
Really smooth with a bit of burn. I could drink it every day if I wasn’t busy trying others.
Matthew,
Fantastic value rye. Sweet character. Especially good when added to dark roasted coffees. Could be oilier with more mouthfeel like Old Forester's higher end bourbons. Appreciated that it is 100 proof as that allows finish to last longer than lower proofed rye.
Eric,
Very hot at 100 proof but a great rye finish and great for the price. I will buy this one again
Michael,
Great Rye in value. Little "hot" but with a dash of water or a rock its great. Made a awesome Manhattan
Christopher,
Extremely smooth rye! Picked it up because I've never had a rye yet that I didn't like, so let's see why it's priced so low? Now I'm confused as to why it's priced so low! If you are a rye fan, like myself, you can't go wrong with Old Foresters. I prefer this as much as I do Woodford's or George Dickel. Very nice!
Matthew,
Definitely an instance of "you get what you pay for." Harsh rye with no enjoyable character or depth. Terrible sipper, terrible for cocktails. Don't waste your time or money.
Vincent,
Decent rye for the price; spiciness is muted, might not cut through enough depending on the cocktail, and not quite flavorful enough to be a satisfying sipper.
John,
For the price point a very good Rye. Makes a really good Old Fashioned.
JON,
Excellent flavor; especially for the price. Even my wife enjoyed this rye.
David,
Love this rye! Great neat or in a cocktail.
Emerson,
The nose burns. Burnt cinnamon; the tiniest bit of banana like a bourbon. Water helps a lot - smoothes out the burnt flavor.
Earl,
Very smooth with fruity notes and a warm finish
Liz,
Most accurate flavor spiral I have experienced thus far. Brown sugar, apples and lemon are definitely in there along with the rye and spiciness.
Ivan,
Feel the burn. It is definitely 100 proof. It needs some ice to bring out the flavor. Very spicy and rye.
John,
Smells like bubble gum. Light vanilla, black pepper, and rye bread. Very good for a great price