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Old Forester 1870 Original Batch vs Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Old Forester 1870 Original Batch and Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a blender-built, classically built bottling.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Old Forester 1870 Original Batch | Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 91.4 proof (45.7% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$45 – $55 ~$60 less | ~$90 – $130 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Limited |
- Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 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.
Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 5/8 oak: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 5 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 8 out of 10
nuttiness 2/4 nuttiness: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 2 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
sweetness 7/8 sweetness: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 7 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 8 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 6 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 5 out of 10
heat 3/4 heat: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 3 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
spice 4/4 spice: Old Forester 1870 Original Batch 4 out of 10, Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Barrel influence is the main separator.
- 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.
- Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish: The standard Michter's bourbon given a second toasted barrel, which adds sweetness and wood to an already polished pour. Genuinely good, though the price has drifted well past what the liquid alone justifies.
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 significantly lower price point and without hunting for it.
- Go with Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish if you want the smoothest, most polished toasted-barrel pour here and price is not the deciding factor with the texture that comes from skipping chill filtration.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, highball (Old Forester 1870 Original Batch); neat (Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish).