Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2026

Price

$599.95

✔ Authenticated by the house — seal, fill level, and label inspected before release
✔ Documented provenance on every bottle
✔ Climate-safe, collector-grade packaging

Age: 12 Years | Region: Kentucky | Proof: 92 Proof

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

11yrs

Age statement

Proof · 48.5% ABV

2015

Barrelled

212

Barrels

Sep 2

2026 release

700mL

Format

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2026 is an 11-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon whisky bottled at 97 proof (48.5% ABV) and released on September 2, 2026, the birthday of Old Forester's founder, George Garvin Brown. Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris and Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo selected its barrels from Warehouse B at the Brown-Forman Distillery in Shively, Kentucky, and the front label records the whiskey as barrelled in 2015.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

The third floor of Warehouse B. All 212 barrels in the batch came off one floor of the oldest warehouse at Brown-Forman's Shively distillery.

Six days in the cistern room. Old Forester says the new make waited there over a long holiday weekend before filling; the tank vented, and the spirit went into the barrels at 124.4 proof instead of the usual 125.

Old Forester's bourbon grain bill. Made from 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley, the mash bill Old Forester uses for its bourbon.

Two dates on the label. Barrelled 2015 stands on one side of the name and Ltd. Bottling 2026 on the other.

The strength line. Beneath the Birthday Bourbon script the label prints Old Forester Distilling Co. at Louisville in Kentucky, 700 mL, 48.5% alcohol by volume and 97 proof.

Nº 02

A Founder's Birthday

Old Forester since 1870 · Birthday Bourbon since 2002

Old Forester began with George Garvin Brown, born in Munfordville, Kentucky, in 1846, who launched it in 1870 and sold his bourbon exclusively in sealed glass bottles; Brown-Forman still counts it as its founding brand. Old Forester marked his 156th birthday, in 2002, with the first Birthday Bourbon, and the series has kept his birthday, September 2, as its release day.

Nº 03

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distiller notes & position

Sensory Profile

Old Forester's own note for the 2026 release gives the colour as dark brown sugar. On the nose it finds baking spice led by ginger, then vanilla bean, honey and malted graham cracker with a touch of cherry; on the palate, honey and buttered caramel with tobacco, herbal notes and more cherry; and toasted oak and graham cracker on the finish, closing on mint.

Strategic Position

Next to the two Birthday Bourbons that preceded it, the 2026 bottling is a year younger and falls between them on proof. The twelve-year, sweet-mash 2025 release at 92 proof drew on floors 1 and 5 of Warehouse K, and the 2024 release, also twelve years old, came from Warehouses G and L at 107 proof. This one is eleven years old at 97 proof, and its barrels shared a single warehouse floor.

Nº 04

Collector Note & Index

Vault provenance

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Where it was sold

Old Forester shipped the 2026 release to select retailers nationwide. Its distillery on West Main Street in Louisville held no in-store release on September 2; the bottles it kept went to sweepstakes winners, each allowed to buy one there.

→

Old Forester's other 2026 bourbon

In June the brand released its President's Choice single-barrel bourbon for 2026, every bottle from one barrel at a proof set for that barrel. The Birthday Bourbon is one batch at one strength, and Caleb Trigo, who chose its barrels with Chris Morris, also tasted the President's Choice barrels and set their proofs.

Collector Index2026 RELEASE

Release: Birthday Bourbon 2026
Released: September 2, 2026
Barrelled: 2015
Warehouse: B · third floor · Shively
Selected by: Chris Morris & Caleb Trigo
Barrels: 212

We list it in our bourbon collection, next to the 2024 and 2025 Birthday Bourbons.

Nº 05

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Whisky	Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, 2026 release
Class	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
Age statement	11 years
Barrelled	2015
Bottling year	2026
Proof · ABV	97 proof · 48.5% ABV
Barrel-entry proof	124.4 (Old Forester's usual: 125)
Mash bill	72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley
Barrels	212
Warehouse	Warehouse B, third floor · Brown-Forman Distillery, Shively, Kentucky
Selected by	Chris Morris, Master Distiller Emeritus · Caleb Trigo, Assistant Master Distiller
Release	September 2, 2026 · select retailers nationwide
Producer	Old Forester Distilling Company, Louisville, Kentucky
Brand	Old Forester, founded 1870 · Brown-Forman's founding brand
Format	700 mL

Nº 06

Records & Assurance

Authentication & Vault Preservation

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2026?

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2026 is 11 years old, and its front label gives 2015 as the year the whiskey was barrelled. It is a year younger than the 2024 and 2025 Birthday Bourbon releases, which were both twelve years old.

What proof is Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2026?

Old Forester bottled Birthday Bourbon 2026 at 97 proof, which is 48.5% alcohol by volume. Its new make entered the barrel in 2015 at 124.4 proof, a little under Old Forester's usual 125, after waiting six days in the cistern room over a long holiday weekend while the tank vented.

When was Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2026 released?

Old Forester released Birthday Bourbon 2026 on September 2, 2026, the birthday of the brand's founder, George Garvin Brown, through select retailers nationwide. Old Forester's distillery in downtown Louisville held no in-store release that day and sold its own 2026 bottles only to sweepstakes winners, one bottle each.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Old Forester · Birthday Bourbon 2026

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Birthday Bourbon

The Elemental Distinction

A Founder's Birthday