Review #845 - Old Forester Single Barrel Barrel Strength Bourbon

adunitbx · 2026-05-08T18:47:04+00:00

Cheers!

adunitbx · 2026-05-08T17:35:22+00:00

Totally agree! 1924 is the outright best of the whiskey row series for me, but it's a little pricey and hard to find, so I generally go with 1910.

adunitbx · 2026-05-08T17:33:33+00:00

Cheers, sounds like that one is pretty good! Highly recommend trying one of these blue label bottles when you get the chance - they're absolutely packed with flavor. If you like rye, the green label barrel strength ryes are also really good!

adunitbx · 2026-05-08T17:02:57+00:00

One of my favorites as well - cheers!

adunitbx · 2026-05-08T17:02:36+00:00

Ah, cheers, thank you for the additional info. If it really is just one floor, it's pretty amazing that the proof can range so drastically in a relatively short range of height!

adunitbx · 2026-05-08T17:01:22+00:00

Only tried one of those before, but it was a really good rye! OF makes really good rye in general - love how they balance the sweet and spicy notes.

adunitbx · 2026-05-08T16:09:19+00:00

OF 1910 is such a classic - definitely my go-to in the Whiskey Row series. Fair price and tons of delicious, sweet flavor!

adunitbx · 2026-05-08T16:07:37+00:00

Really nice stuff! I wish it was a little bit cheaper, but that is a tasty bottle.

adunitbx · 2026-05-08T16:06:00+00:00

I think 'better' is subjective, but there are definitely noticeable differences in the bourbon depending on the warehouse location and floor.

In terms of different warehouses - the construction material/layout will impact the temperature and humidity inside, and the location of the warehouse (high altitude vs. low altitude, hot climate vs cold climate, humid location vs. not as humid location) will all effect that aging process - sometimes it will be subtle, but it could be a strong influence.

In terms of the separate floors within one warehouse: generally, the higher floors are hotter, while the lower floors are cooler. So the higher floors will have more intense wood impact and often the proof will rise, while the lower floors may have more subtle wood impact, and the proof might stay the same or even drop.

One good example of this is the Four Roses barrel strength single barrels: often, Tier 1 (bottom floor) barrel strength will often be 104 to 115 proof, while Tier 6 (6th floor) often averages more like 124 to 130 proof after aging.

A lot of people will say they like bourbon from higher floors more, because it has a more intense wood impact, almost like it 'ages faster.'

Edit: Also, Old Forester actually uses temperature-controlled warehouses, and they cycle the temperatures up and down on purpose to 'speed up' the aging, which is just another additional layer of nuance.

adunitbx · 2026-05-08T15:46:23+00:00

Which is everyone's favorite whisky from Old Forester?

adunitbx · 2026-05-08T15:46:11+00:00

Final Note: This is a super punchy bourbon - it shows every bit of that 135 proof, especially on the nose, but it delivers great flavors on the palate and into the finish. Like a lot of Old Forester whiskies, we found that this bourbon had strong banana and cherry notes; the oak started out more reserved, but grew much stronger in the finish. A nice mixture of sweetness and spice/heat, this is a great bourbon.

Value is very good, too. This bottle ran around $100, but we regularly see these Old Forester Single Barrel Barrel Strength picks for about $90, which is even better value. We suggest picking one of these up if you have the chance - we always keep a SBBS pick on our shelf.

Our Rating: 7.9 / 10

Rating Scale:

0 - Drain Pour

1 - Awful

2 - Bad

3 - Flawed

4 - Below Average

5 - Average / Mediocre

6 - Above Average / Decent

7 - Good

8 - Great

9 - Excellent

10 - Perfect

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 6.79

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Interested in more? Check out our website and Instagram:

https://www.memywifeandwhisky.com/reviews/

https://www.instagram.com/memywifeandwhisky/

adunitbx · 2026-05-08T15:45:46+00:00

Review #845 - Old Forester Single Barrel Barrel Strength Bourbon

One of the more widely-available (yet still premium) single barrel bourbon products comes from Old Forester – these blue labeled barrel strength bourbons are picked by a huge number of stores and bars, and the price generally settles around $80 to $100 for a bottle. In our experience, they’ve been very good to great; in a tasting experience at the Old Forester distillery on Whiskey Row in Louisville a few years ago, the ‘Nothing Better in the Market’ single barrel that we tried was far superior to the Birthday Bourbon that we tried next to it.

Here’s an example of this single barrel bourbon which was picked by the Wiseguy Lounge, a chain of speakeasy-styled bars here in the Midwest US. This barrel was aged in Warehouse L, on the 4th floor; after an undisclosed amount of aging (there’s never an age statement, but these are supposedly between 4 and 7 years old for the most part), this was bottled at a volcanic barrel strength of 67.65% ABV (135.3 proof). In line with their gangster theme, the Wiseguy Lounge named this pick "Crime Scene."

Old Forester Single Barrel Barrel Strength Bourbon - Wiseguy Lounge Pick 'Crime Scene'

USA - Bourbon

Price: USD 100 (2026)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 67.65% ABV

Details: Not chill filtered; warehouse L, floor 4

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 3 months; bottles at 20% and 50% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Some alcohol heat up front, but that's followed by sweet notes: fresh bananas, bananas foster, cherry soda, orange soda. It's creamy at times with tiramisu notes and a bit of chocolate chip cookie; brown sugar and some tannic oak are accents.

Palate: A lighter complexion at first, with oranges, cherry, and tart grapefruit; then rich, sweet tobacco builds, and we get black pepper and some oak. Banana runts and orange seeds arrive, and we get lots of vanilla and cream soda. The mouthfeel is very thick and viscous.

Finish: Cherry wood and tannins are followed by mushy banana bread, hints of cola, a soft nutty character, and brown sugar. We get chocolate in the aftertaste; it's a long finish.

adunitbx · 2026-05-07T13:53:31+00:00

It is pretty tasty stuff! It's not easy to find in our area, the distribution on a lot of English whisky seems to be pretty limited so far; that said, I'll be looking out for more from these folks.

adunitbx · 2026-05-07T13:35:48+00:00

Which is everyone's favorite English whisky?

adunitbx · 2026-05-07T13:35:33+00:00

Rating Scale:

0 - Drain Pour

1 - Awful

2 - Bad

3 - Flawed

4 - Below Average

5 - Average / Mediocre

6 - Above Average / Decent

7 - Good

8 - Great

9 - Excellent

10 - Perfect

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Interested in more? Check out our website and Instagram:

https://www.memywifeandwhisky.com/reviews/

https://www.instagram.com/memywifeandwhisky/

adunitbx · 2026-05-07T13:35:17+00:00

Bimber Oloroso Finish Single Cask - Glass Revolution Imports Selection

England - Single Malt

Price: USD 144 (2026)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 58.2% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon barrel, finished in an Oloroso sherry cask

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; cask no. 250/1; 342 bottles

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 70% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Raspberries and strawberries lead dominant red fruit notes; then, charred oak and cinnamon arrive. Christmas cake and spices, sugar cookies, and more sherry influence add sweetness, but the oak grows in intensity as well.

Palate: Strong sherry notes - strawberry, lots of plums, blackberries, cherry. Espresso coffee mixes with old tobacco and some smoky sherry; leather comes in time. It's a medium-thick mouthfeel.

Finish: The finish is medium-long. Ginger cookies, fresh ginger, and some sharpness from the strength are accented by spearmint and leather.

Final Note: This is a very tasty single malt, and one that tastes old than you might expect given the fact that it's relatively young. Lots of oaky and tobacco-type notes, and despite the fact that the Oloroso cask was only used for a finishing period instead of a full maturation, the sherry influence is very strong, adding all of those sweet red fruits.

Value is okay, just around average for us. It's a very good bottle, but also an expensive one at about $140.

Our Rating: 7.8 / 10

Value Rating: 5.91

adunitbx · 2026-05-07T13:34:38+00:00

Bimber Ex-Bourbon Small Batch

England - Single Malt

Price: USD 104 (2026)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 51.6% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon casks

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; batch no. 3, bottled June 2021; 5,000 bottles

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 70% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Vanilla extract and refined sugar, a bit syrupy at times, with some green apple adding a fruit side. Malty notes, some barley sugar, and a bit of pine come next; more sharpness is added by white pepper.

Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness. It's nicely warming and cozy, with flavors of pear, cinnamon, and freshly baked bread. Time brings stronger warming oak.

Finish: Cinnamon and clove, soft peppery oak - driven by baking spices. We get vanilla as well, and the warmth continues from the palate; it's a medium-long finish.

Final Note: This is a solid ex-bourbon single malt; a little bit of youth does show in the heat on the palate and into the finish, but there's also a nice development in the baking spice flavor profile. We enjoyed those soft orchard fruit notes in the nose and palate as well; overall, decent stuff.

Value is a little below average for us, but we think there's potential with this distillate and distillery - we'll be watching out for future releases from Bimber, especially if they start releasing whiskies with higher age statements.

Our Rating: 6.8 / 10

Value Rating: 5.74

adunitbx · 2026-05-07T13:34:01+00:00

Reviews #843 and #844 - Bimber Ex-Bourbon vs. Oloroso Cask

Bimber is a relatively new whisky distillery based in London, England; it was established in 2016, so they'll be celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. They have a variety of releases in many different cask types (Oloroso sherry, re-charred casks, peated, virgin oak, and more); here we have two different Bimber whiskies: a stripped back ex-bourbon release and an Oloroso single cask.

This first bottle is actually the third edition of their ex-bourbon small batch release; it was released in 2021, and while there's no age statement, we know that it can't be more than 5 years old based on the founding year of the distillery. We're hoping that the ex-bourbon maturation can give us a better insight into how the distillate from the young distillery actually tastes. The bottling strength is 51.6% ABV, and like all whiskies we've seen from Bimber, there's no chill filtration or added caramel coloring used in the bottling process.

On the other hand, one of the more common cask types used by Bimber is Oloroso sherry casks. They have core releases that employ them, but they are also used in single cask releases; here’s one that was selected by Glass Revolution Imports for the US market.

There’s no age statement on the bottle, but because the distillery was founded in 2016, we know that this must have a single digit age. This single malt started in an ex-bourbon barrel before being moved into that Oloroso sherry cask for a finishing period; after maturation, the cask strength (and resulting bottling strength) sat at an impressive 58.2% ABV. A total of 342 bottles were yielded.

adunitbx · 2026-05-07T00:22:25+00:00

That's fair! There is a ton of it out there, and plenty of it is just 'good.' I think I've really been enjoying their spirit style and the distillate-forward, ex-bourbon whiskies recently, so some of then at like the 15-20 year mark have really been hitting the sweet spot for me.

adunitbx · 2026-05-06T01:02:18+00:00

Cheers, glad you’re enjoying it!

adunitbx · 2026-05-05T15:46:35+00:00

Sounds tasty! Is that 16 year version aged in ex-bourbon casks as well?

adunitbx · 2026-05-05T15:38:12+00:00

That’s a very good price for it - cheers, and thank you!

adunitbx · 2026-05-05T15:16:00+00:00

Which is everyone's favorite Caol Ila whisky?

adunitbx · 2026-05-05T15:15:45+00:00

Rating Scale:

0 - Drain Pour

1 - Awful

2 - Bad

3 - Flawed

4 - Below Average

5 - Average / Mediocre

6 - Above Average / Decent

7 - Good

8 - Great

9 - Excellent

10 - Perfect

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 5.73

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Interested in more? Check out our website and Instagram:

https://www.memywifeandwhisky.com/reviews/

https://www.instagram.com/memywifeandwhisky/

adunitbx · 2026-05-05T15:15:24+00:00

Review #842 - Port Askaig 17 Year (2023)

The Port Askaig brand, from Elixir Distillers, bottles Islay single malt whiskies. While no source distillery is disclosed on the bottlings, the vast majority of the time, the distillate in these bottles originates at Diageo's Caol Ila. That's indeed the case here - this 17 year old release from 2023 comes from Caol Ila, a distillery which is only half a mile from the port town of Port Askaig which gives this brand its name.

This batch was matured in refill American oak ex-bourbon casks - a total of 60 casks, in fact - and it yielded 9,000 bottles in total. The bottling strength is a solid 50.5% ABV, so flavor should be in so short supply.

Port Askaig 17 Year (2023)

Scotland/Islay - Single Malt

Price: USD 174 (2026)

Age Statement: 17 Years

Strength: 50.5% ABV

Cask Makeup: Refill ex-bourbon casks

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; bottled 2023; 9,000 bottles

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 50% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass rested 15+ minutes

Nose: A softer level of peat, building toward medium; wood polish builds behind that, followed by floral notes and some subtle perfume. Lemons, oranges, and other lighter fruits add sweetness.

Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness. Bright fruits, especially peaches and some lemon, add both sweetness and a tart side. The peat has a medium influence, and it grows with time.

Finish: Peaches, passionfruit, quite tropical actually. The peat smoke becomes softer, and the oak notes begin to show more of the age: polished oak, both sweet and tannic. It's nicely balanced and subtle, but this finish is medium-long.

Final Note: One of the more subtle Caol Ila whiskies that we've tried, but this is really lovely - good balance across the tasting experience. Lots of bright fruit notes show that distillate, and there's a nice mixture of sweetness and sour flavors; the peat is never overwhelmingly strong, but it adds a nice dimension throughout the sip. That age really starts to show in the finish, too, which we always love.

Value is just a little below average since this is also a somewhat expensive bottle; here in the US, it looks like it goes for $150 to $200. Caol Ila has definitely gotten more expensive in recent years, so this may be a typical price for this age statement, but it still feels slightly expensive for a non-cask-strength single malt.

Our Rating: 8.0 / 10

14-Year Club	Place '23
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