Old Forester 117 Bottled-in-Bond Rye Review
In-Depth Review
Maybe you hadn’t noticed, but it feels like Old Forester has been letting its hair down recently. Take the 117 limited edition series as an example. Since introducing the 117 series in 2021, Old Forester has used these 375ml releases to bring the world behind the curtain on some of their most interesting experiments. I’ve been lucky to find four of the recent releases and have discovered that some of these experiments are fantastic (Scotch Cask Finish) while other’s struggle to breakthrough (Rum Cask Finish). Regardless, it’s always great to see a distillery confident enough to release things beyond their core range.
Back in March 2025, Old Forester unveiled a new entry into the series: the 117 Series Bottled in Bond Rye, the distillery’s first-ever rye released under the standards of the 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act. According to the label, this rye was distilled during the “unusually cool and wet spring of 2015”, making this a 10-year-old release – by far the oldest rye ever released by Old Forester. Like all other 117’s, it comes in a 375 mL bottle and retails for around $59.99. I picked this up at Old Forester’s booth at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival after having a few pours in the tasting bar. Let’s see if all that extra aging helped build this something worthy of seeking out.
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 50%
Cask: New Oak
MSRP: $59.99
Distillery Name: Old Forester Distillery
Review Date: 11/14/25
Color: Medium Caramel
Nose: The nose starts off with sweet herbal tea, Christmas cake, brown sugar and lemon peel. It immediately hits you with layers of warming spice mixed with a classic Kentucky rye sweetness. The nose gives off a touch of heat and Eucalyptus, but it’s well restrained with a nice rounded off oak note removing any sharp edges.
Palate: The palate features waves of classic green rye spice and subtle sweetness. A hearty granola and oats note plays against strong notes of honey and vanilla before building into green tea and biscuit cookies. It’s nice and rounded with just enough heat to wake you up but not enough to breathe fire. The mouthfeel is decent but feels a little flat for a rye at almost 10 years old.
Finish: Medium length finish where a lot more of the rye spice starts kicking in. It’s earthy and herbal with a lingering notes of cardamon and coriander. Between sips I also get the faintest and unexpected pop of bubblegum sweetness.
Final Thoughts: No matter how you slice it, getting a 10-year bottled-in-bond rye from a blue-chip Kentucky distillery for under $60 is a steal – despite it only being a 375ml. And while Old Forester’s 117 Bottled-in-Bond rye looks fantastic on paper – it fails to blow me away. In the end, the extra aging has turned this into a good, well rounded, easy sipper that balances rye spiciness with a lovely herbal sweetness. However…. It doesn’t excite me. And with Old Forester’s experimental 117 series, I always want to feel like it’s pushing the limits of my expectations and sadly here, Old Forester has just made a very good rye. And even then, it still may be one of the best 117s I have had. It feels deeper, richer, and more rewarding than the normal 100 proof Old Forester rye but doesn’t excite me like the wild and fun 117 Scotch Cask finish I had earlier this year. But if you get the chance to grab this at retail – you won’t be disappointed…. unless you’re looking for a challenge.
