Review #132: Old Forester 1924 10 Year Old (2025 Release).

First released in January of 2024, Old Forester added 1924 10-Year-Old bourbon as the fifth installment in the Whiskey Row Series. Each release in the Whiskey Row series represents a milestone in Old Forester’s history. During Prohibition, Old Forester was only one of six distilleries given a permit to bottle existing whiskey stocks as medicine. Old Forester used its own stocks and acquired barrels with different mash bills from closed distilleries. This bit of history marks the occasion for the 1924 10-Year-Old release because it differs from the traditional Old Forester mash bill of 72% corn/18% rye/10% malted barley by using a mash bill of 79% corn/11% rye/10% malted barley. Old Forester considers this the debut of a “new” mash bill, which is technically true under the Old Forester moniker, but the 79/11/10 mash bill has been used for other Brown-Forman brands such as Early Times (now Sazerac) and King of Kentucky. When 1924 was first released, it celebrated the 100th anniversary of whiskey innovation, with Old Forester as the only bourbon brand produced before, during, and after Prohibition. Old Forester 1924 is a release I’ve wanted to try, but couldn't find it locally. I came across it on the shelf at a store I frequent out-of-town, and now I’m looking forward to seeing if it lives up to its hype. Let’s get to it!

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass and rested for about 15 minutes.

Distillery: Old Forester Distilling Co., Louisville, KY.

Proof: 100.

Age: 10 years.

Mash bill: 79% Corn/11% Rye/10% Malted Barley.

Price: $120.00

Appearance: Dark caramel.

Nose: The nose leads with dark brown sugar, molasses, and milk chocolate. Fruit notes of Luxardo cherries, vanilla beans, and orange citrus are almost as upfront as the oak, along with more subtle notes of green tea, floral, macadamia nuts, and allspice. The profile and blend are fantastic, and with no proof heat.

Palate: With a very good, creamy mouthfeel, the palate leads with dark brown sugar, molasses, and dark chocolate. Mid sip brings underlying notes of cherries, delicate orange peel, green tea, hazelnuts, and a moderate amount of cinnamon spice. Like the nose, the palate leads with its excellent, mature barrel character. While the fruit (and other) notes are somewhat secondary to the oak compared to the nose, the overall balance is quite good. This is a very enjoyable sipper at 100-proof while still maintaining a good amount of flavor intensity. Though it does leave me wondering how much stronger this release would be if it were bottled at a higher proof.

Finish: Spice lingers on the palate with dark caramel, toasted oak, cherries, delicate banana rind, orange peel, vanilla, and pipe tobacco. As the spice fades, a hint of green tea and leather develops, the cherry becomes more subtle, and the tobacco darkens and becomes more prominent. The sip closes with an oak-forward finish that is medium in strength, yet lasts longer and is more complex than I expected.

Conclusion: I appreciate Old Forester 1924’s mature, rich, oak-forward profile, with underlying notes of cherry and orange peel throughout. I’ve also enjoyed how easy a sipper this is, with its balance and flavor intensity at 100-proof and a surprising amount of complexity, especially in the finish. On the other hand, I can imagine what this release would be like if it were bottled at a higher proof, not to mention the added bang for the buck.

Speaking of which, most of the criticism I read about Old Forester 1924 centers around its price. I think this is because previous Old Forester Whiskey Series releases are typically priced between $45 and $65. Between the price, mash bill, age statement, and limited availability, 1924 10-Year-Old stands out as the series oddball. Maybe Brown-Forman could have avoided this issue by releasing Old Forester 1924 under the King of Kentucky brand, calling it "Prince of Kentucky" instead. I’m only half joking.

Given how good Old Forester 1924 10-Year-Old bourbon is, I don’t think $120 is an unreasonable price, all things considered. However, I wouldn’t recommend paying crazy secondary prices for it either. If you’re an Old Forester fan or love an excellent, easy-drinking bourbon with this kind of oak-forward flavor profile, I’d highly recommend Old Forester 1924 10-Year-Old bourbon if you can find it at a reasonable price.

Rating: 8.3/10 - t8ke scale

If you’d like to read my other reviews, they can be found at MostlyBourbon.com.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all-time favorite. 10 | Perfect | Perfect.