Review #397 - Old Forester Statesman
Old Forester Statesman was released in 2017, related to a film - 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle.' While Kingsman is a UK-based independent espionage agency in the film, there's an American counterpart in the series as well - that's where our bourbon gets its name. In the film, the 'Statesman' organization operates under the cover of a bourbon distillery based in Louisville, Kentucky, and many of its agents are given codenames based on alcoholic beverages.
Old Forester says that they created this Statesman bottling by blending together barrels from the warmest parts of their warehouses - their goal was to create a bourbon that is spicy and warm. They bottled in at a slightly elevated 47.5% ABV (95 proof), and like most Old Forester releases, there's no age statement.
Old Forester Statesman
USA - Bourbon
Current Locally Available Price: USD 53 (2024)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 47.5% ABV
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 3 years; bottles at 90%, 60%, and 30% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Relatively sweet on the nose - red fruits are the first scent, like cherries or even raisin. The complexion is relatively dark, with some sweet oak, hints of molasses, and cardamom; nutmeg adds a bit of a kick. Golden delicious apple and banana add lighter fruits notes... relatively fruity overall.
Palate: More spicy on the palate compared to the nose, with more oak, bits of licorice and clove. The cherry from the nose takes on a dark medicinal tone, and we still get some bananas adding to the fruit profile. Anise and wood smoke arrives in the mid-palate, and later, just a hint of tiramisu. The thickness of the mouthfeel is medium.
Finish: Medium length, and a lot of the drying wood notes are hanging around. Barrel spice, anise, and hints of coffee are present, along with a little hint of banana bread; in the aftertaste, cream and cola linger.
Final Note: The flavor profile here is actually relatively interesting, but the nose felt a little bit disjointed from the palate, in terms of heavy sweetness vs. heavy spice. We also appreciate the strength being higher than a lot of standard bourbon releases, but an even higher proof might have helped the flavor delivery here.
Value is fine - about average on our scale. It isn't a cheap, entry-level bottle, but it also isn't too expensive. For the flavor that it delivers, the price feels about fair.
Our Average Rating: 6.0 / 10
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: 6.33
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.
