Despite challenges in the marketplace ranging from tariff threats to production pauses to layoffs, American whiskey distilleries keep pushing out new releases. Drinks giant Brown-Forman is dealing with all three of these issues, but its Old Forester brand just dropped a new release that is a first for the storied label: a bottled-in-bond rye whiskey.
This new whiskey is part of Old Forester’s 117 Series, which debuted in 2021. The collection has included some interesting and frequently high-quality whiskeys, including Whiskey Row Fire, 1910 Extra Old, High Angel’s Share, and a few bourbons that were aged in specific warehouses to highlight the effects of maturation as terroir. Old Forester is no stranger to rye whiskey, of course, having released a 100-proof expression and single-barrel versions. The distillery’s rye recipe is a unique one with more malt than corn in the mix—65 percent rye, 20 percent malted barley, and 15 percent corn—which provides ample spice and fruit notes along with a nice hit of floral sweetness on the palate.
Like the previous core rye release, the new 117 Series: Bottled in Bond Rye is bottled at 100 proof, but there are a few key differences based on its particular categorization. Per the requirements of the 1897 Bottled in Bond Act, in addition to its 100 proof the whiskey was aged for at least four years in federally bonded warehouses and is the product of one distillery and one distillation season. “This 117 Series release is unique because it holds a tie to our 1897 Bottled in Bond, our tribute to the Bottled in Bond Act,” said Old Forester assistant master distiller Caleb Trigo in a statement. “This release is a first for Old Forester, and stays true to our historical promise of quality, consistency and balance.”
According to the distillery’s press release, the barrels used for this whiskey were filled in the spring of 2015, which it says was uncharacteristically cool and wet. The exact date when the barrels were dumped was not revealed, but that likely puts the whiskey’s age at close to 10 years old. We were not able to sample this new expression yet, but official tasting notes describe honeysuckle and candied lemon on the nose, followed by “intense” spice, charred oak, freshly cracked pepper, and cooked pear on the palate and a dry finish with baking spice flavors.
You can find the new Old Forester 117 Series: Bottled in Bond Rye (SRP $65) in smaller 375 ml bottles at the Old Forester retail shop, and shipping is available to a few select states from the website. This bottle, like past 117 Series releases, will likely show up on the secondary market, but expect to pay some seriously inflated prices if you find it. You can also purchase the rest of the Old Forester lineup, including the highly coveted Birthday Bourbon, at websites like ReserveBar.
