Old Forester 117 High Angel’s Share Bourbon

Jul 3

In the past two years - 2019-2021 - Brown-Forman has now released four products marketed explicitly or implicitly as high angel’s share bottles: the Tennessee Taster’s Barrel Strength Rye, the Tennessee Taster’s High Angel’s Share, Jack Daniel’s Barrel Proof Rye 2020 Special Release, and now the Old Forester 117 High Angel’s Share Bourbon. Each relies on the same idea: barrels from higher floors in the rickhouse lose more to evaporation (the “angel’s share”) than barrels lower down, and that difference is significant enough to create a product unique from the core line of each. The two ryes were out-of-this-world smashes, while the Tennessee Taster High Angel’s Share is good but not great.

The other three being Jack Daniel’s products does set the Old Forester 117 apart, even if it’s the same parent company. It’s also the only one of the four overseen by Master Taster Jackie Zykan, so there’s a solid argument to be made that even if the idea is the same, the execution could be quite different. I’ll be upfront - I don’t like a lot of Brown-Forman products, with Woodford Reserve regularly occupying the lower rungs of my rankings. When my palate disagrees with lines or companies so regularly, I usually chalk it up to my palate simply being different than that of the tasters, blenders, and distillers. Doesn’t make it better or worse, it’s just a fact that I have to be honest about in my reviews.

But maybe…just maybe…some can squeak through that generalization. This marks the second Old Forester product I’ve really enjoyed, the first being Batch 1 of the 150th Anniversary Series in 2020. Jackie had a hand in both, and from the outside looking in it seems like she’s being given more latitude to create her own profile from that of Chris Morris, Master Distiller and ostensibly her direct boss. Indeed, this is the first bottle in the brand’s history to have a woman’s signature - one can only hope it’s the first of many.

Ultimately, this was a great bottle. at MSRP it would be a 100% buy for me, but unfortunately it was a limited release that I’ll likely only find on secondary. Even on secondary, I might pick it up at $100 if I had some extra cash. Either way, I’m always happy when something exceeds or counters my expectations. For the first time, I’m excited to try the next offering from Old Forester.

Old Forester 117 High Angel’s Share Bourbon: Specs

Classification: Bourbon

Origin: Brown-Forman Distillers

Mashbill: Undisclosed Bourbon Mashbill

Proof: 110 (55% ABV)

Age: NAS

Location: Kentucky

Old Forester 117 High Angel’s Share Bourbon Price: $50

Official Website

Old Forester 117 High Angel’s Share Bourbon Review: Tasting Notes

Eye: Dark amber maple syrup. Thin rims, quick droplet legs.

Nose: Oak spice, mellow vanilla notes. Cinnamon and toasted baking spices. Cinnamon buns before they’re iced, lovely buttery vanilla with spicy cinnamon. Did I mention cinnamon? Candle-worthy nose.

Palate: Cinnamon-forward, still, with good heat on the tongue that never gets to a full-bore burn. Instead, it turns into creamy oak, a little woody but not terribly so. Tingle continues as some red berry sweet/tartness rumbles underneath. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, light and enjoyable with, you guessed it, cinnamon as the star in custard form. Raspberries in the supporting role.

Finish: Drying, a bit chalky at first in the corners of my mouth, like eating stale Cinnamon Toast Crunch that still has the flavor with the texture gone wrong.

Overall: Yep, I like this. The cinnamon is powerful and complex, with a very good mouthfeel and solid fruity notes underneath. Only the second Old Forester product I’ve liked behind the 150th Anniversary. Maybe my mind can change…

Final Rating: 7.2

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)