Ever since Old Forester released a rye whisky in 2019, fans of the brand (myself included, duh) have wondered if they’d one day put out a single barrel or at least barrel-strength version of the rye. Well, my friends, the wait is over.

Today, Old Forester announced it’s introducing the Rye Single Barrel to its product line, and it is not only barrel strength — at a whopping 124 proof — but also unfiltered. And that’s not all. For the first time, this Rye Single Barrel will be available nationwide, so all Old Fo fans can unite, unwind and clamor over this amazing spice ball of fire.

Here’s what I know: The Old Forester Single Barrel Rye will be sold in limited quantities at the distillery and in liquor stores across the country starting June 1. It’ll retail for $79.99 for a 750ml-sized bottle.

I don’t know if that means we need to camp out at the distillery for a bottle, or if it’ll be readily available around town. But either way, I know I’ll eventually get my hands on one of these, and that should be a goal of yours, too, if you like caramel and spice and everything nice.

“The Old Forester Rye Single Barrel delivers on the same balanced and unique flavor profile of our 100 proof expression, only amplified and in unfiltered, raw form,” said Master Taster Jackie Zykan in a news release.  

The nose on this one is quite potent at that high of proof, but once you get past the zap of the alcohol vapors, you get a nice creme brûlée and a pinch of black pepper. And when you sip, wow!

Of course you get the spice right up front — bam! — it’s like every Kramer entrance on “Seinfeld” as he swings open the door and takes centerstage. But after that, the sharp pepper and cinnamon notes simmer, welcoming a slice of Grandma’s baked apple pie with a drizzle of caramel and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side that play well with both the heat and the high-rye content.

I know the Old Fo Rye mash bill is 65% rye, 15% corn and 20% malted barley, so obviously this follows suit. The finish is also quite nice, leaving a slight burn on your tongue as it travels south. I’d call this one a Kentucky Bear Hug.

Old Forester, the venerable and faithful Louisville-based bourbon brand, turns 150 this year, and they’re going big for their big anniversary. Fresh off the release of the highly coveted Birthday Bourbon, here comes — count ’em — one, two and three different batches of the Old Forester 150th Anniversary Bourbon.

Batch 1, baby!

As if you have endless room on that bar shelf!

The limited-edition release honors the early process that founder George Garvin Brown used to batch barrels and sell the world’s first bottled bourbon unfiltered and at batch proof.

Each of the three bathes has vastly different tasting notes and will come in a fancy tube similar to parent company Brown-Forman’s King of Kentucky release.

“My great-great grandfather had quite the vision for his whisky,” said Campbell Brown, Old Forester president and fifth-generation Brown family member, in a news release.

“He was bringing something to the market that had previously not existed, and today, we instill his legacy of ingenuity in everything we do — especially in the halls at Old Forester Distilling Co., in the same building George ran the business in the early days of the company.”

I attended a media conference call on Monday hosted by Campbell Brown and Master Taster Jackie Zykan, and I learned that these 150 barrels had been set aside more than half-a-dozen years ago by Master Distiller Chris Morris and were then batched together by Zykan in late 2019. The barrels were all filled the same day and aged together in the rick house.

Because Old Forester heat-cycles their rick houses, the angel’s share was definitely a factor in how much bourbon actually came out of each barrel. Zykan said that at least three or four barrels they opened for this product were completely empty!

George’s angels must be damn thirsty!

But anyway, working on such an important commemorative project was both “terrifying and an honor” said Zykan.

So let’s get to the three musketeers, amigos or blind mice — whatever you want to call ’em. (Below details come straight from the news release.)

Batch 1

125.6 proof/62.8% ABV, comprised of 46 barrels; fruit bomb

Nose: maple syrup and perfectly ripe orchard fruits, apricot and plum

Mid: açaí and black current

Finish: graham cracker, subtle peppermint, long well-rounded spice, moderately dry

Batch 2

126.4 proof/63.2% ABV, comprised of 48 barrels; sweet and spry

Nose: cherry cordial and raspberry preserves

Mid: French toast and chocolate malt

Finish: brilliant and perky spice at the front of the palate, touch of cedar, mildly dry

Batch 3

126.8 proof/63.4% ABV, comprised of 53 barrels; green and spice

Nose: dill and bright orange peel, hint of light brown sugar

Mid: sweetens in the middle to melon and pine

Finish: medium dry, tingling green peppercorns, rosemary, grapefruit peel, and lingering anise 

Each of us in that conference call was sent a different batch to sample, and I was fortunate to get Batch 1 — the “Fruit Bomb,” Zykan named. It was thick and viscous and had serious dark fruit notes like fig and plum. It didn’t seem hot being at 125.6 proof, and the delicious, caramel-y finish lasted quite a long time.

I’m curious now to try the other two batches, but I suppose I’ll have to wait like the rest of you!

The Old Forester 150th Anniversary Bourbon should hit store shelves (if you’re lucky to find it) in October, and each batch retails for $150.

Let the hunting begin!

Each September, the bourbon world gets a little nutty.

Yes, it’s National Bourbon Heritage Month, but it also holds one of the most significant dates of the year: Sept. 2 — the birthdate of Old Forester founder George Garvin Brown, which means it’s also time for the annual Old Forester Birthday Bourbon release!!

Happy Birthday to me!

Nothing can stop the Birthday Bourbon from being released, not even a global pandemic! So the powers that be at Old Forester have decided to launch the product on the website, where exclusive bottles have been sold the last few months.

I’m going to venture a guess and say that this might very well break the internet — but you better believe I’ll be one of these keyboard warriors trying to tap into bourbon bliss that day.

A little more about that in a second, but first, here’s a little more about this year’s release.

This is the 20th iteration of the Birthday Bourbon series and will be bottled at 98 proof. It is made up of 95 barrels of 10-year-old bourbon and was selected by Master Distiller Chris Morris and Master Taster Jackie Zykan for its interesting characteristics. According to a news release, these are the notes:

• Color: Dusty Topaz
• Aroma: A nuanced balance of white floral notes, magnolia and citrus, spiced with vanilla, buttery leather and cocoa powder. Countering the spice are sprinkles of brown sugar, white chocolate shavings, caramel drizzle and hints of tropical fruit.
• Taste: Caramel and brittle toffee lead as the tropical character blooms into banana, mango, coconut flakes and macadamia nut.
• Finish: Long and delicately drying with a hint of anise.

“We really believe that the 2020 version is one of our best yet,” said Old Forester President Campbell Brown in the release. Brown’s great-great grandfather is THE George Garvin Brown this release honors.

I was fortunate to get a small sample of this year’s Birthday Bourbon, and I can verify all of the flavors mentioned above, especially that delightful banana note that comes out in a lot of aged Brown-Forman whiskeys. It tastes how fall feels — a long walk on crisp, fallen leaves; the anticipation of a campfire s’more; the cool breeze that ushers out humidity and calls for sweaters.

It’s viscous, it’s well-rounded, it’s sweet, it’s spicy, it’s fruity and it’s something I want to be sipping on all year long.

So how can you get a bottle?

Well, be sure to sign up for emails at the Old Forester website, and be on the lookout for a special Birthday Bourbon email on Wednesday, Sept. 2. You, along with thousands of others, will be all vying to nab a bottle online. It retails for $129.99.

Some will get lucky, and some will throw their computers across the room.

I kind of wish Old Forester would have went with a lottery system, much like what Four Roses is doing with its annual Limited Edition Small Batch release. But I am but one small ladybug on the windshield of life.

Good luck to everyone!

When I read the news this morning, I immediately heard the voices of Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand singing “Happy Days Are Here Again” echoing through my head and down into my liver. Did you?

If you have no clue what I’m talking about, watch this:

So what news am I talking about? Well, I assure you it has nothing to do with politics or the Mexican drug cartel, but rather something more close to home and indeed happy. Turns out Old Forester, a bourbon brand that turns 150 this year, is celebrating this milestone by beefing up the proof on its single-barrel releases.

The Louisville company typically releases its single-barrel bourbon at an average 90 proof, but with consumer demand at an all-time high for higher-proofed products, especially from blokes like me, Old Fo decided to now let those who pick a barrel pick a proof, so to speak.

“Since our founding 150 years ago, we’ve always listened to our customers and looked for ways to innovate to meet their tastes,” said Jackie Zykan, Old Forester master taster, in a news release. “Proof and filtration are both really important factors in the final flavor and complexity of a whisky, and we wanted to be able to share how special some of these barrels are when the product inside is tasted in raw form.”

Love the new labels! | Courtesy of Old Forester

So say you’ve got like $10,000 in your pocket and you want to buy a barrel of Old Forester. Once you and your group of friends (which better include me) pick your barrel, then you get to decide if you want it bottled at a nice 100 proof or an even nicer barrel strength, which could hover around 125 or higher!

Thus, why happy days are here!

It seems higher proof bourbons are on a rise these days, and for good reason. They pack more punch — and flavor, in my opinion. Let the consumer add water if she likes — that decision should be up to her, not added for her.

Take the recently released Weller Full Proof, or Booker’s, or George T. Stagg, or the 1792 Full Proof as examples of higher proofed bourbons that are successful and quite tasty. Heck, even Old Fo’s sister brand, Woodford Reserve, released a stout Batch Proof last year that was 125.8 proof.

Old Forester Single Barrel bottles can sometimes be found in the distillery’s gift shop, but mostly they’ll be at the stores and restaurants that actually spent the money to buy the barrel. Just keep your eyes and ears open for single-barrel offerings, as I’m sure they’ll be rolling off the line very soon.

I’m guessing all the major (and not so major) liquor stores in town already are in the barrel-pick calendar, as are bars and restaurants that sell picks — like Silver Dollar/The Pearl, 21c, Butchertown Grocery, Bourbons Bistro, Merle’s Whiskey Kitchen, Taj, etc. So just pay attention and stop in from time to time.

The suggested retail price for the 100 proof Old Forester Single Barrel bottles is $49.99, while the barrel strength bottles will go for $79.99.

Anyone lucky enough to be heading to the distillery soon for a barrel pick and needs some help, I’m no master taster, but I would like to master the tasting experience! I’ll even let you slide into my DM for that invite … or whatever the kids say.

Anyway, bravo, Old Forester! Happy days are here again …

Great, now I need more shelf space. | Courtesy of Old Forester