Old Forester has unveiled this year’s release of Birthday Bourbon, the 18th release of the highly sought after bourbon and the first to be bottled at its newly opened distillery.
The bourbon marks the birthday of the distillery’s founder, George Gavin Brown, and is released on his birthday, September 2. First released in 2002, previous versions of the bourbon have won numerous spirits awards. The bourbon is also popular with collectors. Last year’s release, for example, is currently trading for around $400 a bottle.
This year’s Birthday Bourbon is bottled from 120 barrels that were distilled in 2006. Given the 12 years the bourbon aged in barrels, the total yield from the 120 barrels was just 39% of the liquid that was originally put inside, the rest (called the ‘Angel’s Share’) evaporated during the maturation process.
As for how it tastes, the Old Forester says on the nose you’ll find “a pronounced rich dark cherry cobbler note” that “opens into a dynamic build of caramel and dark chocolate covered smoked almond nuttiness with hints of charred oak; a touch of herbal lemon tea, sweetened with a touch of honey rounds out its depth of character.” The Birthday Bourbon has a subtle sweetness that “blossoms into a warm and green spiced multi-dimensional experience, brightened by a lemon honey note followed by cherry cobbler,” and has a long and drying finish, with herbal lemon honey sweetness.
A little less than 15,000 bottles of 2018 Birthday Bourbon will be released next month at a suggested retail price of $99.99.