Old Forester announces details of new 2024 birthday bourbon

Summer is almost over, believe it or not. But the good news is that this means the annual fall unicorn whiskey releases are just around the corner, and one of the first is Old Forester Birthday Bourbon. We’ve got details on the liquid that’s in the bottle and how you can get your hands on one.

Birthday Bourbon is released each fall to celebrate Old Forester founder George Garvin Brown’s birthday on September 2. This coveted bottle varies in alcohol content, age and flavor each year, though there are some consistent lines. This year’s 12-year-old bourbon is bottled at 107 proof—that may not sound like remarkable numbers for a bourbon, but there must be a reason why the team for this whiskey chose the 209 barrels aged in the G and L warehouses. That team included Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris, Master Taster Melissa Rift and Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trig. On the nose, this year’s Birthday Bourbon is said to have aromas of fruit, spice cake and buttercream. On the palate, expect juicy fruit, toasted oak and cinnamon. And a bit of caramel apple and sweet tobacco on the finish.

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This follows a number of other successful whiskey releases from Old Forester in the past year. These include one of its most sought-after single barrel bourbons, President’s Choice, the re-release of the 117 Series High Angels’ Share entry, another rum barrel-aged 117 Series whiskey, and earlier this year the launch of the excellent 1924 10-year-old bourbon. Some of these are easier to get hold of than others, but perhaps none require as much planning as Birthday Bourbon. For the second year in a row, the whiskey will not be available at the distillery on September 2nd. Instead, you’ll need to log on to the Old Forester website (starting today and running through August 21st) for a chance to purchase a bottle, which must be picked up in person from September 5th to December 14th (MSRP $200). If all else fails, you can check out sites like ReserveBar for previous Birthday Bourbon releases as well as the rest of the Old Forester range. Depending on the location, prices range from about the recommended retail price to four times that.