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Old Forester 1870 Original Batch vs Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series
Old Forester 1870 Original Batch and Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a new-wave, classically built craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Old Forester 1870 Original Batch | Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley | Not disclosed |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 98.9 proof (49.5% ABV) +9 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$45 – $55 ~$13 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-10; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Old Forester 1870 Original Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 3/5 heat: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 3 out of 10, Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 5 out of 10
spice 4/5 spice: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 4 out of 10, Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 5 out of 10
oak 5/6 oak: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 5 out of 10, Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 6 out of 10
nuttiness 2/3 nuttiness: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 2 out of 10, Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 3 out of 10
sweetness 7/7 sweetness: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 7 out of 10, Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 7 out of 10
fruit 6/6 fruit: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 6 out of 10, Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series 6 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land very differently on the palate for heat.
- Old Forester 1870 Original Batch: The first bottle in Old Forester's Whiskey Row Series, recreating the founder's habit of blending barrels from three warehouses. It is the lightest of the series, caramel sweet and easy.
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series: A blend of Bardstown's own young distillate with older sourced Kentucky whiskey, which is exactly what the name describes. Polished and fruit-leaning, and a clear demonstration that the blending is the skill on show.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Old Forester 1870 Original Batch if you want the gentlest, most easygoing pour in the Whiskey Row Series at a lower price point.
- Go with Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series if you want a well-built modern blend that shows what careful blending does rather than what age alone does with slightly more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, highball (Old Forester 1870 Original Batch); neat, rocks (Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series).