Old Forester The President's Choice Straight Rye Whiskey 2026 Release

Old Forester The President's Choice Straight Rye Whiskey 2026 Release is a hand-selected single barrel of Kentucky straight rye — the rye half of Old Forester's rarest annual release, and a spice-forward counterpoint to the more familiar President's Choice bourbon. It's aimed squarely at the rye devotee who wants a barrel chosen for character rather than a standardized blend.

Process & Profile

The label traces back to 1964, when then-president George Garvin Brown II offered private single barrels to favored customers; the modern program keeps that hands-on ethos, with Master Taster Melissa Rift and Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo personally tasting and selecting each barrel. This release is aged seven to nine years and bottled at a barrel-specific strength between 110 and 125 proof (55–62.5% ABV). It is built on Old Forester's distinctive rye recipe — 65% rye, 20% malted barley and 15% corn — an unusually high malted-barley proportion that lends a rounder, bakery-like backbone beneath the spice. Fewer than 100 President's Choice barrels have ever left the distillery since the relaunch.

On the nose, dry and spiced: cedar and oak up front, then clove, chicory, raisin and browned butter, with a holiday lift of almond and red berry.

On the palate, it opens like a spice bomb — cola, clove, sassafras, pine and nutmeg — before turning to anise, orange peel, candied ginger and a run of crème brûlée, with orchard apple and pear surfacing as it breathes.

The finish arrives hot with powdered ginger and nutmeg, then softens into clove, cocoa and a marshmallow-fluff sweetness that lingers.

The rye is the rarer and more polarizing of the two 2026 expressions: because each is a single barrel, proof and spice intensity swing noticeably bottle to bottle, and 2026 marks only the second year the rye has been sold outside Kentucky. Where the bourbon leans dark and nutty, this leans bright, herbal and baking-spice driven — a genuinely different animal within the same label.

Serve neat in a Glencairn, or build a single-barrel Manhattan or Sazerac where the high-malt backbone stands up to sweet vermouth.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this whisky?
A hand-selected single-barrel Kentucky straight rye, the rye expression of Old Forester's rarest annual President's Choice release.

What are the specs?
Aged 7–9 years, bottled at a barrel-specific 110–125 proof (55–62.5% ABV); mash bill 65% rye, 20% malted barley, 15% corn.

What does it taste like?
A dry, spiced nose of cedar, clove and raisin; a spice-bomb palate of cola, sassafras, ginger and orange peel; a warm ginger-and-cocoa finish.

How should you enjoy it?
Neat in a Glencairn, or in a single-barrel Manhattan or Sazerac.

Why is this release notable?
Fewer than 100 President's Choice barrels have ever been released, each hand-picked by the distillery's tasting team — and 2026 is only the second year the rye has been available nationally.