Old Forester Statesman
“Being a “Kingsman” is more than the clothing we wear or the weapons we bag. It’s about willing to sacrifice for the greater good. I hope you’re ready for what comes next. It’s important.”
As most folks will know this was inspired by the film ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’. Old Forester is officially the longest-running bourbon on the market today (approximately 152 years as of the time of writing), and was the first bourbon to be sold exclusively in sealed bottles. The thought that bourbon was once sold in unsealed bottles should be an obvious one, but we’re glad ‘Old Forester’ saw sense and the rest eventually followed. Imagine the things cunning vendors might have added for dilution! Back in those days, the brand was called ‘Old Forrester’, which eagle-eyed readers will spot has an extra 'r'. The rouge ‘r’ apparently came from a ‘Dr. William Forrester’, who endorsed the drinking of this particular brand of bourbon for medicinal purposes.
To say we were surprised by this bourbon would be a bit of an understatement. Maybe it’s because it was a film tie-in release, so that might have set our expectations on the low side. Or maybe it’s because the entry-level ‘Old Forester’ didn’t hit the wow spot.Whatever the reason, we found ourselves liking this drink a lot more than we expected.
‘Statesman’ is a hell of a bourbon. It’s interesting, complex, and sticks around on the finish. The nose does a very clever job of disguising the spice that’s hidden in the dram, waiting to be released once you take a sip. Even the initial coating of the tongue is creamy and for a second you think the sweetness of the nose is just going to follow blindly along to the taste… But it doesn’t, and the creaminess gives way to that Speppery© hit that sticks in the mouth and mingles with hints of orange and oak to create a flavour that begs to be revisited.
Our verdict? This bourbon is great and turns out it’s better than the film it’s associated with! We also give a nod to their Whiskey Row series, which we’ve been lucky enough to explore and enjoy over the last few years.
