Summer is nearly over, if you can believe it. But the good news is this means the annual fall unicorn whiskey releases are just around the corner, and one of the first is Old Forester Birthday Bourbon. We have details about the liquid that’s in the bottle, and how you can get your hands on one.
Birthday Bourbon is released every fall to celebrate Old Forester founder George Garvin Brown’s birthday on September 2. Each year, this highly collectible bottle varies in proof, age, and flavor, although there are some throughlines. This year’s release is a 12-year-old bourbon bottled at 107 proof—this may not sound like remarkable stats for a bourbon, but there must be some reason that the team chose the 209 barrels aged in warehouses G and L for this whiskey. That team consisted of master distiller emeritus Chris Morris, master taster Melissa Rift, and assistant master distiller Caleb Trig. On the nose, this year’s Birthday Bourbon is said to have aromas of fruit, spice cake, and buttercream. On the palate, expect juicy fruit, toasted oak, and cinnamon. And on the finish, a bit of caramel apple and sweet tobacco.
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This comes after a string of other successful whiskey releases over the past year from Old Forester. These include one of its most coveted single barrel bourbons, President’s Choice, the re-release of the High Angels’ Share entry in the 117 Series, another 117 Series whiskey finished in rum barrels, and early in the year the launch of the excellent 10-year-old 1924 bourbon. Some of these are easier to get than others, but perhaps none require as much planning as Birthday Bourbon. For the second year in a row, the whiskey will not be available to purchase at the distillery on September 2. Instead, you have to sign up on the Old Forester website (starting today and lasting until August 21) for a chance to win the opportunity to purchase a bottle, which must be picked up in person from September 5 through December 14 (SRP $200). If all else fails, you can look for previous Birthday Bourbon releases, along with the rest of the Old Forester lineup, on websites like ReserveBar–prices will range from close to the SRP to quadruple that, depending on where you’re located.
