Old Forester The 117 Series: Bottled in Bond Rye Whiskey Review

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In early 2019, Old Forester released a new product that surprised many enthusiasts: a rye whiskey.  This would be the first time a rye whiskey was bottled under the Old Forester name.  Don’t misinterpret that sentence as Old Forester never produced rye whiskies before – they were actually quite skilled at it.  Confused?  Then read on!

Old Forester’s history of distilling rye whiskey

After the fire at Heaven Hill’s distillery in 1997, Brown-Forman (parent company of Old Forester) and Jim Beam stepped up to offer their services to distill for them until they could get back up on their feet.  The two took turns in producing bourbon for Heaven Hill, but it was Brown-Forman who exclusively distilled their rye whiskey.  Most people know this by now, but bottles of Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey from the early 2000’s will be marked “DSP-KY-354” (Early Times Distillery) instead of DSP-KY-1 (the New Bernheim Distillery Heaven Hill purchased in 1999) on the back label.  DSP-KY-354 now goes by the name “Brown-Forman Distillery.”

Sometime during the late 90’s/early 2000’s, Brown-Forman decided to experiment more with rye whiskey production for themselves.  The reasoning was probably “we’re already making rye whiskey for Heaven Hill, why not make some for ourselves or to sell off?” They had two recipes to choose from that they owned – one was named “Old Watermill” and the other was named “Normandy.” They began to produce Old Watermill (53% rye, 33% corn and 14% malt) probably because it was the cheaper of the two since it had more corn in the mash.

Michter’s was one of the first ones to pick up on this Brown-Forman rye whiskey when Even Kulsveen from Willett found a batch of 4-year-old barrels for sale in bulk around 2003. Michter’s liked it so much that they approached Brown-Forman to contract distill bourbon and rye whiskey for them starting in 2004.

About half a decade later, Woodford Reserve would use that same mash bill for their own rye whiskey (albeit with a more standard barrel entry proof instead of Michter’s barrel entry proof of 103). Their first iteration was bottled and released in 2015.

But Old Forester’s rye whiskey – which first hit the shelf in 2019 – would be different.  Rather than using the Old Watermill recipe, Brown-Forman dusted off the other rye whiskey recipe they had been setting on since the 1940’s.  Known internally as “Normandy Rye,” this recipe would use 65% rye, 15% corn and 20% malted barley. 

If you do the backwards math, Old Forester’s rye whiskey would have been first laid down around late 2014 or early 2015.  But we haven’t seen it under any label other than the standard 100 proof version and barrel strength single barrel version that came a year later. 

Old Forester 117 Series Bottled-in-Bond Rye Whiskey

That all changed in 2025 when there were not one, but two new rye whiskey products with actual age statements released by Old Forester.  The first was the bottle you see before you today which was released in March, 2025.  The second was a single barrel under the Old Forester President’s Choice label which was released during Derby Week in May.  But for this review I’ll only be concentrating on the former. 

The label of this rye whiskey says that it was barreled in the “unseasonably warm and wet spring of 2015.”  What that has to do with impacts on the barrels is unknown.  I also wish that they would give us an indication of which warehouses these barrels came out of.  For most 117 Series releases, they are typically made from small batches of barrels – usually around 30 to 40 in total. 

I’m surprised I haven’t heard much chatter about this one, but I think it’s one of the most interesting releases so far this year seeing as how it’s going to give us a glimpse of what to expect when a Kentucky distillery begins bottling rye whiskey with double digit age statements.  So how is it?  Let’s find out.  I sampled this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: The nose is beautifully rounded with an equal amount of seasoned oak, coconut cream, caramel and brown baking spices. But the way you can tell it’s a rye whiskey is the amount of heavy green notes (interestingly, something like palm fronds sticks out) like sweet mint and tarragon.  A hint of licorice also finds its way into my nose.

Palate: Each sip is packed with flavor that deliver multiple layers of enjoyment. I’m loving the bold oak notes because it’s something that I don’t often find in rye whiskey. The baking spices give each sip a nice bite and a little bit of heat with clove, ground cinnamon and fennel. The mint pops back up again and is accompanied with orange peel and cherry licorice. There’s even some chocolate notes that accompany the sweet molasses flavors which I’m a huge fan of. This rye whiskey has every flavor I love to find.

Finish: Beautiful green notes accompany a lingering molasses sweetness. The finish is also saturated in tannins like oak spice, cedar and leather. The finish lets you know its been aged for a decade and I’m loving it. 

Score: 8.4/10

10 Years in a barrel has done fantastic things for this release.  It’s evolved into one of those rare rye whiskies that showcases the trifecta of aged tannins, various green/herbal and sweet/fruity flavors all in one.  Most rye whiskies typically offer only two of those three.

I noticed distinct similarities between this bottle and a bottle of modern Michter’s 10 Year Rye Whiskey  – despite the mash bills not being similar.  It could be a yeast strain that is shared (or at least related) between the two.  It could be the fact they’re both aged in heat-cycled warehouses or it could just be because Kentucky rye whiskey is rarely matured to the 10 year mark.  Whatever it is, I wish there was more available.

Final Thoughts

I’m a member of about a dozen different whiskey groups and one thing I noticed is how unnoticed this release was to their members.  If the subject of The 117 Series is brought up, they’re usually talking about the “Extra Old,” “Extra Extra Old” or “High Angel’s Share” releases.  It’s a shame because the 10 Year BiB Rye Whiskey is easily one of the best whiskies they’ve ever put inside one of these 375ml bottles.

My excitement in writing this review is equally amplified by the knowledge that Old Forester is setting on an ever-increasing inventory of aged rye whiskey barrels.  I hope this is just the tip of the iceberg for more of them coming out in the coming years.  Even if it’s given a premium price like Michter’s 10 or Kentucky Owl did, it’s well worth it.  Hell, it might just be the best 10+ year Kentucky Rye Whiskey available at the moment.  If you’re a rye whiskey lover, I hope you’re just as excited as I am for the future of this whiskey.