BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: Old Forester Distilling Co.
• MASH BILL: 72% Corn | 18% Rye | 10% Malted Barley
• AGE: 12 years, drawn from 210 barrels aged in Warehouse K, which is heat cycled
• YEAR: 2025
• PROOF: 92 (46% ABV)
• MSRP: $199.99 (for a 700ml bottle, a first)
• WHERE TO BUY: This bottle is available primarily via online sweepstakes, which ended on August 20. Some stocks will be released through select retailers. None will be sold at the distillery in Louisville.

STEVE'S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Any bourbon fan who loves well-aged, well-blended bourbon from one of America's oldest whiskey makers.

WORTH THE PRICE: Ooooh, $199.99 is steep, especially in the evolving bourbon market, when stocks are high and buyers are sitting on their wallets. But this question really is about the whiskey: Is what's in the bottle worth $200? Despite really liking it, $200 is high for me. The good news for Old Forester and every other distillery rolling out annual, coveted special releases, in this bifurcated whiskey market, the 1%ers and 2%ers will spend this kind of money all day long.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar for sure when you're spending that much on a single bottle.

OVERALL: Welcome to the story of a bourbon that was born of discussions to kill off the brand itself.

According to Chris Morris, master distiller emeritus at Brown-Forman, 25 years ago, when bourbon was still in its slump, sales of Old Forester were so slim that Brown-Forman considered ending the brand's 130-year run. That got employees' attention, and Morris and a handful of others sought a solution.

He believed that leveraging nearly forgotten stories of Old Forester's founder, George Garvin Brown (a.k.a. GGB), and attaching them to a new product would be a good start. When pitched to his bosses, they loved the idea, then told him to go create it–without any funding.

Unsurprised and unfazed, Morris and the brand's sales manager back then joined forces on the new product. A wine guy, Morris thought it notable that France's release of Beaujolais Nouveau wine happened on the third Thursday of each November. So, perhaps releasing this new whiskey on GGB's birthday each Sept. 2, might create some similar marketing significance.

They also wanted it to come from a single day of whiskey production to single out batches they most liked. When they introduced their idea, named "Old Forester Birthday Bourbon," he said some cringed over the name, but ultimately it was approved.

Sadly, the negativity didn't stop there. At its rollout later that year, when the small batch release offered at $39.99, there were few takers. "People thought, if Old Forester 100 proof is just $12, why would I want to pay $39 for Birthday?" Morris said.

Even when discounted to $29.99, it got no love, so the liquor store operator slashed the price to $22.99–for 12-year-old bourbon!–yet, it still gathered dust.

That was when the sales manager stepped in to buy every case in the store and told his superiors that the release sold out.

"Ethical? Maybe not," Morris said, grinning and clutching a bottle of that first release. "But it 'sold out.' ... and I have several bottles of it."

Of course, the annual release eventually caught on and became one of the most coveted bottles in the market. And I got to try this year's release with Morris, assistant master distiller, Caleb Trigo, master taster, Melissa Rift, and with a slew local whiskey writers in late August.

On the nose is well aged bourbon: deep, dark, balanced and properly oaky. Herbal and fruit notes are plentiful and pleasant, and at a modest 92 proof, well balanced, not at all in your face like you might suspect from an older whiskey. Aromas of cooked peaches commingle with dark cherries and pipe tobacco, and surprisingly, there's no hint of OF's common (and pleasing to me) bubble gum note, something I thought might be present in this one-off sweet mash edition. A few more swirls in the glass bring out campfire and, as Rift mentioned, cardamom–which I had to go to my kitchen to reference. She was right.

On the palate, mouthfeel is rich and soft. What little oak tannins are present only as structural elements, not drying. I like that. Darker notes of fire-cured tobacco (believe me, I'm not a smoker; I rarely point to tobacco twice in a review, but that's what's there), dark chocolate, vanilla, allspice and toasted rye get rounded out with a little cooked cherry and orange peel.

If you're curious about how its blending team landed on 92 proof, Rift said she and her colleagues weren't happy with higher-proof iterations. When samples dipped below 100, it came alive, so they kept proofing it downward. Things really got exciting at 95 proof, she said, but to be certain, they kept going down, and with every micro-step toward 92, they knew they'd reached its peak.

I agree that this is delicious at 92 proof: rich, soft, but deeply flavorful. When drinking it after my review tastings–those relaxed times when multiple sips are allowed–spice buildup compounds and becomes absolutely delicious. This is a delightful whiskey in every respect.

BRAND NOTES

COLOR: Honeycomb 

AROMA: Notes of herbal tea and cardamom complimented by hints of raw oak as well as tropical fruits and green apple

TASTE: Silky notes of oak and vanilla, balanced with sweet citrus and clove spice

FINISH: candied apple and burnt sugar with leather and chai spice 

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.

SIP REP: UNFILTERED & HIGH-PROOF

Pops doesn’t pull punches. His SIP REP is unfiltered, high-proof, and only available to members. Join the community to unlock the full video review below.