Bourbon Heritage Month has been part of the American whiskey landscape since it was officially declared by the 110th congress in 2007. Our only complaint is it’s a month with only 30 days because it’s hard to squeeze all those bourbon events and releases in one month and this year is no exception.
Old Forester Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky is getting an early start with Bourbon Heritage Month by offering a sneak peek of this years release. It was originally scheduled to drop for Brown-Forman’s 150th Anniversary in 2020 but Covid canceled the party.
For Bourbon Heritage Month 2023, Old Forester will release the Brown-Forman 150th Anniversary, 1870-2020 limited-edition bourbon whiskey. To honor their anniversary this bourbon was aged for 150 months, 12.5 years, on the first floor of warehouse B, a non-heat cycled warehouse and the oldest warehouse at the Brown-Forman Distillery in Shively, Kentucky.
According to Master Distiller Chris Morris these six barrels were never intended for release to the public. It was originally created for the Brown family, distributor partners and VIP guests. Since it was not released as planned a select number of 150 bottles will be released this September to the public.
The bottle was modeled after some of the Old Forester decanters bottles released in the 50s and 60s from industrial designer Raymond Loewy. You can compare Loewy’s 1957 Sputnik bottle with the 150th Anniversary bottle below.
Related Stories
What is Bourbon Heritage Month?
When Did Bourbon Whiskey Become a Distinctive Product of the United States?
Bourbon Heritage Month Framer & Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Bunning Passes
Stay Informed: Sign up here for the Distillery Trail free email newsletter and be the first to get all the latest news, trends, job listings and events in your inbox.
Old Forester Master Taster Melissa Rift shared her tasting notes. Rift said on the nose you’ll find lots of leather and tobacco flavors, butterscotch, nuttiness and some dried fruits like dates and raisins. And you’ll get some nice smokey undertones from the oak influence from the toasted and charred barrel. The finish has some tannin influence with a nice mouth feel and balanced finish.
The Old Forester Brown-Forman 150th Anniversary bourbon whiskey was bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV) and will be available in September 2023. The retail price for this release has not been announced.
Today, Old Forester remains the only brand with an uninterrupted 150-year history, sold by the same family company before, during and after Prohibition.
Learn more about Old Forester Distillery.
View all Kentucky Distilleries.
View all U.S. Distilleries.
Please help to support Distillery Trail. Sign up for our Newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
