Price: $100 SRP
Release Date: September 2
Availability: Nationwide
Volume: 13,200 bottles (approx.)
Age: 11 years
Proof: 105
Since 2002, Old Forester has celebrated its founder’s birthday with a special, hyper-limited release of the appropriately named Birthday Bourbon. And unless you’ve been sipping under a rock, that name should ring a bell.
Birthday Bourbon has continued to rank among the most collectible, sought-after annual bourbon rollouts, with former releases selling for $500 to $1,500 at retailers and even more on the secondary market. This year’s release, 120 barrels (a little more than 13,000 bottles) of 11-year-old whiskey, is listed at $100 retail, available September 2 and is bottled at an uncharacteristically high 105 proof (the highest proofing of any Birthday Bourbon release). Old Forester Master Taster Jackie Zykan’s tasting notes include rich oak spice, blackcurrant, light maple, caramel cake and white floral notes.
More broadly, many bourbon collectors may view Old Forester’s annual drop as the unofficial kickoff of bourbon hunting season. After the September 2 release, look for Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch, Parker’s Heritage Collection, Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection and the yearly allotment of retail-available Pappy Van Winkle. Good luck.