Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2019 Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2019
(Credit: Brown-Forman)

For 2019, the tagline attached to Old Forester Birthday Bourbon was that it had the highest proof yet. This annual limited edition expression has never been noted for being a ballsy, high octane whiskey, and last year’s clocked in at just above the bonded line at 101 proof. This year is slightly higher, 105 proof, but my opinion is that this was too much.

This year’s release was also a bit younger than last year’s (although of average age in the Birthday Bourbon norm). The bottling is drawn from 12o barrels (a complete, single day’s production) laid down on May 15, 2008 and aged on the second floor of Warehouse I. Thus it is an 11 year old in a series that has ranged from 9 to 14 years. The yield of those 120 barrels was 13,200 bottles.

The Bourbon
The coloring here is a light, quite coppered amber, but its a viscous, heavy liquid nonetheless. Swishing the glass leaves behind a coat with a beady crown, and that crown makes one wait quite a spell before dropping anything. Even then, it let go only a single, solid-but-thin tear led by a hefty droplet.

The nose is a thick one, the scent leading with thick caramel and graham crackers, followed hard and fast by toasty, spicy oak and then some heat. Tasting gave me cinnamon and oak spices in the main, comprising a substantial layer atop a base of brown sugar and vanilla. The finish is more toasty and spicy oak, and fades fast.

My opinion was that this bourbon was over-oaked and hot enough that whatever else might have been in there was overwhelmed. What is more, I didn’t go looking for that “whatever else” because I don’t think I should need to add water to middle aged, 105 proof bourbons. This is all the more peculiar, because I can’t pin the blame on too much summer heat and over-cooking; these barrels rested on the second floor of their rickhouse.

The Price
Nowadays Old Forester Birthday Bourbon officially fetches $100 per bottle.