Spirit Master: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch

Ahead of Thanksgiving tomorrow (28 November), we thought we’d draw your attention to a quintessentially American spirit to celebrate the national holiday.

Old Forester 1870 Original Batch is recommended served in an Urban Jungle cocktail

Every week, SB celebrates some of the top-scoring Master medallists from The Global Spirits Masters blind-tasting competition. And with Thanksgiving fast approaching, we thought what better way to toast the occasion than with an award-winning Bourbon.

During the American Whiskey Masters blind-tasting competition in July 2019, a total of nine Master medals were awarded to top-quality expressions that were assessed by a panel of independent experts, and chaired by The Spirits Business.

The Bourbon – No Age Statement round saw two of these Masters go to US drinks producer Brown-Forman for its Old Forester 1870 Original Batch and Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond.

Judges were thrilled to find flavours of “marmalade, leather, pear juice, black cherry” in Old Forester 1870 Original Batch.

The expression also swiped the coveted Taste Master title, whereby all of the Master medallists from the competition are re-tasted to find the expression deemed the cream of the crop.

Old Forester 1870 Original Batch was one of nine Master medallists during the competition

Brown-Forman created Old Forester 1870 Original Batch to celebrate the year 1870 when George Garvin Brown created Old Forester on Whiskey Row in Louisville, Kentucky.

The expression took inspiration from Brown’s original batching process, when barrels were obtained from three distilleries to create a consistent flavour profile. Old Forester 1870 Original Batch is made from select barrels from three warehouses, each of which originates from a different day of production, with a different entry proof and a different age profile.

Brown-Forman recommends serving the Bourbon in tiki-inspired cocktail Urban Jungle – see recipe below.

Ingredients:

45ml Old Forester 1870 Original Batch

45ml pineapple Juice

20ml Campari

15ml Lime juice

15ml Old Forester Perfect Old Fashioned Syrup

Method: Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin with ice then shake vigorously. Strain into a collins glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a pineapple leaf, lime wheel and mint leaves.

Old Forester 1870 Original Batch is priced at US$46.

Brown-Forman also scored Gold medals for its Old Forester Rye Whiskey and Birthday Bourbon during the competition.

To see the full list of medallists from The American Whiskey Masters 2019, click here.

If you’re interested in entering your brand into The Global Spirits Masters, contact Rhiannon Morris – rhiannon.morris@thespiritsbusiness.com – for more details, or visit this page.