Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Old label vs. New label Showdown

For this review, I'll be comparing two versions of Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style bourbon. OF recently rebranded a lot of its bottles and it was rumored that the juice inside the bottle changed as well. To give credit where credit is due, I came across this "rumor" on a video review by @bourbonjunkies who have a great YouTube channel. If you're interested in some video reviews/content, I highly recommend it. I won't tell you their verdict, you'll have to watch for yourself.

Old Forester is a historical distillery that has been around since the 1800's. The 1920 Prohibition Style release is a beast, clocking in at 115 proof (57.5% ABV). If it's too strong for your liking, mellow it out by adding water and lowering the proof.  I use my Drive Water Pipette from @norlanglass to proof it down slowly. 

While Old Forester doesn't advertise it, according to the Almighty Internet the mashbill is 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley, which seems to be in the ballpark given the flavor profile.    Old Forester doesn't provide a specific age for this release, but we can infer that the youngest bourbon in the bottle is at least 4 years old from the label (there's a bunch of rules regarding labeling, which we can dive into in another post).

How it smells….(Old) Boozy almond bomb...after a @norlanglass pipette of water, some baking spices and maple syrup.  (New) Boozy maple syrup with some baking spices after adding water.

How it tastes….(Old) Almond followed by vanilla...after adding water, oak and baking spices including ginger and allspice.  (New) Spice and heat...after adding water, you get the traditional vanilla and oak with a softer spice remaining. 

Price….I purchased my bottles each for $59.99, which is the lowest I've seen it (high end being $70).  At $60, I think it's well worth it given the quality and the high proof. 

Rating….(Old) 🥃🥃🥃🥃  (New) 🥃🥃🥃

Final thoughts….Old Forester puts out some great products and the 1920 Prohibition Style is no exception. This is what a traditional bourbon is supposed to taste like.  Whether it's the Old or New, you won't be disappointed, both are very similar with the Old perhaps being a bit sweeter and the New being a bit spicier.  At $60ish, it's a great buy.  Overall, I think they're both great but I favor the Old version.