George Garvin
Brown was born on September 2, 1846. He was
the son of J.T.S.
Brown and the half-brother of J.T.S. Brown, Jr. George became a pharmaceutical salesman whose wares
included, amongst other things, whisky. That whisky was a thorn in his side
because it was the most complained-about product he handled.
Back
then, whisky was sold by the barrel. Quality was constantly in flux because
rectifiers, saloons, and other outlets were engaged in shady practices to make
their stocks last as long as possible. In 1870, George was fed up; he contacted
his half-brother, and the two opened their own whisky business, which he called
Old Forester, named for a prominent local physician.
Old
Forester was unique because it was the first commercially available bottled
Bourbon, which essentially guaranteed its quality and safety. In fact, George
signed each sealed bottle, establishing the guarantee.
You
may notice that I’ve opted for the non-American spelling of whisky
(without the e). That’s in deference to Old Forester, which spells it
that way.
Each
September 2, Old Forester releases its annual Birthday Bourbon
to commemorate George and his special place in history.
“For our 25th Birthday Bourbon release, the absence of setback allowed the yeast to express its full character, creating a flavor profile that’s both delicate and complex.” - Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo
What’s
the absence of setback mean? Usually, Old Forester would have used a
sour mash recipe, where they kept some of the previous batch (the “setback”)
for the new batch. A sour mash tends to provide more consistency from batch to
batch. For 2025, a sweet mash, where everything involved was new, was utilized.
Distillation
occurred on April 5, 2013, and was one-and-done. Old Forester filled 210
barrels that aged in Warehouse K, Floors 1 and 5. The mashbill is undisclosed.
If you’re a fan of Birthday Bourbon, you’ll notice its lower-than-usual 46% ABV
(92°). It is the second-lowest of its entire 25-year run (the 2013 Fall Release
was 89°). In comparison, the 2024 version was a whopping 107°, which happened
to be the most potent.
Old
Forester Birthday Bourbon is one of the most sought-after annual Bourbon
releases and can be near impossible to find. The good news is that it will be
available through an online sweepstakes running on OldForester.com from August 18 through August 21, 2025. Select retail
stores around the country will also have it.
That
leads me to this necessary statement: Every year, people ask me which stores
will have it. Please understand that I’m not provided with a list, and local
distributors usually determine retailers and any behind-the-scenes negotiations.
Old
Forester was kind enough to provide me with a sample in exchange for my
no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and learn how this year’s
unusual release turned out.
- Whisky Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
- Distiller: Old Forester
- Age: 12 years
- Mashbill: Undisclosed sweet mash distilled April 5, 2013
- Cooperage: 53-gallon, new, charred oak barrels
- Alcohol Content: 46% ABV (92°)
- Price per 750mL: $199.99
Appearance: I used
a Glencairn glass to explore this Bourbon neat. It was the color of a brown
ale; mostly brown with orange hues. It was deep and dark, well representative
of its dozen years in oak. A thick rim formed and stuck like glue. There was
hang time between the creation of the rim and when the syrupy tears began to
fall.
Nose: I let
this whisky rest for about ten minutes before I brought the glass to my face. I
smelled plenty of oak, along with cocoa, caramel, ripe bananas, green apples,
and toasted coconut. I inhaled the vapor through my lips and found chocolate
and coconut.
Palate: Birthday
Bourbon’s mouthfeel was velvety with a medium body. The front of my palate encountered
plums, orange peel, and toasted coconut, while I tasted cocoa, vanilla, and cinnamon
at my mid-palate. I identified roasted coffee, clove, and bold oak on the back.
Finish: The
finish featured cocoa, coconut, oak, clove, and roasted coffee. In my mind, it
seemed like a medium to medium-long duration. My stopwatch read 1:38, which is between
medium-long and long. It was even-keeled, with no rise or fall until the very
end.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The 2025 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has a
$200.00 suggested price. If you find this at a liquor store, the chances are almost
guaranteed that it’ll set you back far more than that. Your chance at buying it
“at retail” is to be one of the lucky winners in Old Forester’s online sweepstakes.
Due
to the mystery of how much you’ll have to pay for it if found in the wild, my
Bottle, Bar, or Bust rating completely ignores bang for the buck and is strictly
based on how it smells and tastes.
I
suspect the reason Old Forester chose such a low proof for this year’s Birthday
Bourbon wasn’t an attempt to extend the stocks and make as much money as
possible; instead, it seemed necessary to prevent this Bourbon from being over-oaked.
It maintained enough warmth, drinking closer to between 98° and 100°, and leaving
the roof of my mouth slightly numb.
I’ve
had fruity Birthday Bourbons and spicy ones. The 2025 fell somewhere between
those. Yeah, there were fruit and spice notes, but neither was overwhelming (sans
the oak). It is a classic, well-aged Bourbon that Old Forester fans should
appreciate.
If
you’re a collector of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, you’ll want to get your
hands on one. However, I’d rather have Old Forester 1920 for
a quarter of the price. I’m not trying to imply that it is a poor
representation of the annual release; I am saying that it isn’t one of the
standouts, such as the 2012 or the 2016.
My
recommendation would be to find a good watering hole and buy yourself a pour. I
believe you’ll agree with my assessment that it deserves my Bar
rating. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whisky as you see fit,
but begs you to do so responsibly.
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