The Best Old Forester Birthday Bourbons

By Richard Thomas

Annual limited edition releases have become very much a thing in recent years: any whiskey brand worth who has the resources to release something even remotely special on a sustained basis has one, and for good reason. Making something an annual limited edition means it can command a high price tag, although it might not get automatic attention anymore. Most of these hot ticket items come out in the autumn, and that field is now so crowded that we see these things coming out year around, and even so the rest of the calendar is starting to fill as well.

One expression that continues to stand out in this parade of whiskey is Old Forester Birthday Bourbon. This is not only because it has been consistently very good or even excellent, but it’s also among the most established in its class. “Birthday Bourbon selections have ranged from nine to 14 years old since the expression was first launched in 2002,” said Jackie Zykan, the Master Taster of Old Forester.

From the beginning, the expression has been based on the notion of pulling a set of barrels from single day’s production of Old Forester off the racks, batching it and bottling it as a whole. The timing marks the birthday of George Garvin Brown, the company founder.

It’s never been exactly a rare offering; even in the early days, production runs were several thousand bottles, and now are routinely over 10,000. When Birthday Bourbon was first introduced, that was plenty for everybody; nowadays, it is still among the easiest whiskeys of its class to get, but it’s no longer available off the shelf (even Blanton’s isn’t available off the shelf anymore).

Seeing as how each year is a specific and finite creation, you can actually pick and choose among the different years and don’t even need to go to an auction to do so. After inquiries with my colleagues, some of whom have long memories and dusty notebooks, I’ve arrived at a Top 5 list for Old Forester Birthday Bourbon. One thing I’ve gleaned from this particular exercise: Old Forester seems to do its best when clocking in at 12 years old.

Birthday Bourbon 2002 (12 years old): Of course, the inaugural year was something special, enough so to continue to stand out after all these years among the few who were taking note of it. Another thing that makes this particular release special started on filling day: Brown-Forman says the barrels were soaked in a rainstorm before filling, which is most unusual, but has the effect of reducing the angel’s share during the first year. Observers noted it as a particularly earthy, spicy bourbon.

Birthday Bourbon 2006 (12 years old, 96 proof): This release was a close cousin of the preceding year’s Birthday Bourbon. It was distilled and barreled one week before the lot used in 2005’s release. It sat in the racks in the same warehouse and on the same floor as 2005’s bottling, aging for an extra year. The result was a well-rounded whiskey with a somewhat more oaky and minty character, showing some of its middle aged standing. Although it has some detractors, with most observers it was the other standout Birthday Bourbon of its decade.

Birthday Bourbon 2010 (12 years old, 95 proof): Among bloggers and critics, this installment received the most enthusiastic applause of all the Birthday Bourbons. It was much loved for being full-bodied and bold. The 72 barrels behind it came out of the middle of Warehouse K, which has no small amount of open space around it, leading to better air circulation. This might very well be the very best of the Birthday Bourbons, and if it isn’t then it stands as second-best.

Birthday Bourbon 2014 (12 years, 97 proof): Commentary on this installment was the most mixed of any to reach the Top 5; different folks enjoy different strokes. Yet if 2014 barely made the cut, it was better received than the 2011 installment that came in sixth place. The main thing to be said about it is that it was a rich, mature expression of Old Forester. There were no bells and whistles, no gold ribbons, just good, solid, well-rounded bourbon.

Birthday Bourbon 2017 (12 years old, 96 and 95.4 proof): An odd note for the 2017 release is that it came in two distinct batches. The smaller came from a lot of 27 barrels, was bottled at 96 proof, and is the part that makes it into the Top 5.