Forged Oak 15 Year Old Bourbon Review

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Sometime around 2013, Diageo launched their “Orphan Barrel” lineup. This consisted of old aged whiskey that they claimed had been forgotten about and then magically found. Initially, the public lapped these releases up. The allure of highly-aged barrels that had been lost and found carried a certain mystique.

Eventually, these were exposed for what they were. They weren’t really “orphaned” after all. Plenty of knowledgeable enthusiasts pointed out that alcohol tax paperwork dispelled the story and showed these barrels were accounted for the whole time. Even though the story was exposed, consumers still flocked to buy each release due to the old age statements. 2013-2018 was a period of time where high age statements started to disappear from the shelves and enthusiasts were willing to buy anything they could to get a taste of 15+ year old barrels. Orphan Barrel was able to cash in on this big time.

Forged Oak follows a successful Barterhouse release

Barterhouse, arguably the most famous of the Orphan Barrel line, was launched in 2014. Carrying a 20 year age statement and an eye-catching label was enough to earn it wide acclaim. The Orphan Barrel product development team followed it up with another batch that was also well-received. Then in 2015 came a new label called Forged Oak. The mash bill remained the same as Barterhouse (86% corn, 6% rye and 8% malted barley) but the age statement was 5 years lower.

Forged Oak was originally priced at around $60 MSRP and was considered a bit of a deal when compared with its IW Harper 15 Year – a bottle that came from the same stocks of barrels with the same age statement and roughly the same proof. Only the IW Harper was priced a little bit higher ($75ish). Would Forged Oak carry the torch of Barterhouse? Let’s find out. I sampled it neat and in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Scents of Kellogg’s Corn Pops cereal hit my nose first. The nose also carries a bright, fruity and floral profile for such an old whiskey. I can find maple syrup, cherry strudel, warm caramel sauce and Macadamia nuts. Overall, it’s an extremely pleasant nose with no trace of harshness.

Palate: The first thing I notice is how thin the mouthfeel is. The flavors that the bourbon exhibits are Confectioners’ sugar, corn cakes slathered in a light maple syrup, a bit of cherry cough syrup and a hint of fresh citrus.

Finish: A little bit of toasted Macademia nuts comes through at the end. There’s grilled corn on the cob, menthol and some tobacco leaf and drying oak that’s not too terribly distracting. Honestly, I was expecting more.

Score: 6.6/10

6.6 is somewhat of a low score for a bourbon whose biggest downside is that it’s just so boring. But on a positive note, the nose was excellent and the flavors were easy to identify due to the low proof. There were no big, dominant flavors or scents that overpower the others. What you see (taste) is what you get.

Final Thoughts

15 years in a barrel allowed the bourbon to become quite mellow. Because of this, it’s an extremely easy whiskey to sip on. But it’s lackluster in terms of bold or exciting flavors which makes it a bottle I won’t buy another of. The age statement and price (under $100 retail) still beckons me like a Siren and makes me want to seek out the other labels in the Orphan Barrel lineup. I just hope they can deliver more than Forged Oak did.

So who is this a whiskey for? I personally give it to my friends who are new to bourbon and are intimidated with higher proofs. It’s helped to show them that bourbon doesn’t have to be harsh, hot or spicy. But after they get a taste of the good stuff, they also don’t ask for a re-pour. This is why after all of these years, my original bottle of Forged Oak remains only half drank.