Old Forester 2026 Birthday Bourbon

Old Forester 2026 Birthday Bourbon is the newest annual release in Old Forester's flagship collector series, a single-year bottling drawn from one specific warehouse pick and built for drinkers who follow the series barrel to barrel rather than bottle to bottle.

Process & Profile

This release was barreled in 2015 and bottled in 2026 at 97 proof (48.5% ABV), pulled from 212 barrels resting on the third floor of Warehouse B, the oldest rickhouse at the Old Forester Distillery in Shively. Those barrels went into the wood at an unusually low 124.4 entry proof after a six-day hold in the cistern room over a holiday weekend, a scheduling quirk that changed how the spirit pulled sugars and tannin from the oak over eleven years. Old Forester traces back to 1870, when founder George Garvin Brown began selling his whisky exclusively in sealed, signed glass bottles at a time when most bourbon left the distillery by the barrel and was often cut or adulterated downstream; that guarantee is the reason the brand still calls itself the First Bottled Bourbon.

On the nose, zesty ginger and baking spice sit over sweet vanilla bean, honey, malted graham cracker, and a faint trace of cherry.

On the palate, warm honey and buttery caramel give way to bold tobacco leaf, herbal undertones, and a brighter cherry note that cuts through the richness.

The finish runs medium to long, settling into toasted oak, more graham cracker, and a lingering herbal mint note that keeps it from tipping into pure sweetness.

Old Forester has released a Birthday Bourbon every year since 2002, always timed to founder George Garvin Brown's September 2 birthday and always drawn from a single, publicly disclosed barrel lot rather than a blend of warehouses — making it the industry's first vintage-dated bourbon. The 2026 edition marks the series' 25th year, and this year's warehouse pick was made by Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo working alongside longtime Master Distiller Chris Morris, with the low barrel-entry proof setting this particular 212-barrel lot apart from a typical Birthday Bourbon year.

Serve it neat or over a single large-format ice cube in a Glencairn, and pair it with dark chocolate or an aged cheddar to match the caramel and tobacco notes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this whisky?
It's the 2026 edition of Old Forester's Birthday Bourbon, an annual, single-lot Kentucky Straight Bourbon released each September to mark founder George Garvin Brown's birthday.

What are the specs?
97 proof (48.5% ABV), barreled in 2015 and bottled in 2026, drawn from 212 barrels on Warehouse B's third floor, in a 750mL bottle.

What does it taste like?
Ginger, vanilla, honey, and graham cracker on the nose; buttery caramel, tobacco, and bright cherry on the palate; a toasted oak and herbal mint finish.

How should you enjoy it?
Neat or with a single large ice cube in a Glencairn glass, alongside dark chocolate or aged cheddar.

Why is this release notable?
An unusually low 124.4 barrel-entry proof, caused by a six-day cistern room hold, shaped eleven years of maturation into a noticeably different Birthday Bourbon than prior years.