Othenin-Girard, who is based in Southern California, had an opportunity recently to attend a tasting of old bourbons held by the Los Angeles Whiskey Society: An Old Grand-Dad bottled in 1949, a Very Old Fitzgerald bottled in 1956, that sort of thing, but a really exceptional collection.
Bourbon, by the way, doesn't age in the bottle. Tasting whiskey from old bottles like these is more of a window into what people were drinking then. Have the recipes changed? Were the barrels made from older trees? You also often get to taste products that are no longer made from distilleries that are no longer standing.
What's great about the article is that Othenin-Girard, as a high-end whiskey buyer, is a professional whiskey taster who, as also a salesman, is very good at describing what he tastes. He knows what he's writing about much better than most.
Many people like the K&L blog because it's not just about selling stuff, it's about the passion Othenin-Girard and the other David, David Driscoll, who writes most of the posts, have for the products, producers, and customers. In this case, nothing mentioned in the piece can be purchased at K&L.
That's unfortunate, but until someone uncovers a forgotten warehouse full of bourbon from the 40s and 50s, this will have to do.
Yep it's been pretty awesome reading those reviews. It would be nice if the new Old Forester single barrel that I hear is coming could approach the OF that they reviewed from the early '60's. The one I would most like to try is the OGD from the late 40's.
ReplyDeleteTheir OGD (I also read Tim Read's brief review) tasting notes differ substantially from what I taste in my early '80s OGDs. I get a lot of mustiness and butterscotch, with a bit of pepper to keep things interesting. Not the most lively stuff. I wonder how much the profile had changed, even back then, from what it was in the '40s.
ReplyDeleteOne difference we know is that the 80s was the height of the bourbon glut and almost everything sold then -- and certainly Old Grand-Dad -- was significantly older than advertised.
ReplyDeleteConversely, in the 40s whiskey stocks were tight, like they are now, and nothing was a day older than it had to be.
ReplyDeleteAnother argument that older isn't necessarily better!
ReplyDeleteI must disagree. Bourbon can age in the bottle. It may or may not improve, but it certainly can get worse. Heat, light, leaks, etc. can cause changes. I think you'll agree with that statement. I know from experience it's true, so please don't make patently false statements. Even bourbon kept in ideal conditions may deteriorate. So drink up, everybody!
ReplyDeleteJust about the only things that can hurt bourbon in an unopened, sealed bottle are cork rot and oxygenation. Of course, after the bottle has been opened, all bets are off
ReplyDelete