Review: Old Forester Single Barrel - Dallas Bourbon Club "Dust on the Barrel"

Appearance: Light brown

Nose: A ton of delicious baking spices and none of the strong floral notes that dominate Old Forester. There's nutmeg, allspice and clove. Underneath the bouquet of spices is a delicious savory note that borders on funky. It's like blue cheese and it gives this nose a total X factor. I love it.

Taste: Upfront is a big ol' honey bomb. It's brilliant sweetness that shines. As it moves down the hatch, that familiar Old Forester note does come out, but it remains pretty subtle and stays in check. The finish is long and smokey. I'm totally impressed by how long and warming this finish is for only being 90 proof. It's punching way above it's 90 proof weight.

With Ice: Dilution mutes the great funky nose and flattens it. But it does make the brilliant taste shine. Delicious citrus notes and a great mouthfeel all come to the forefront with ice in there. However, it's at the expense of that great finish. Adding ice really dampens the finish here.

Verdict: 91/100. Obviously, there is a slight bias here since I helped select it. But I am totally impressed with this. It's got great character and it's very tasty. This is a barrel we should be proud of!