Old Forester Tribute Series 2026 — 12 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 115 Proof

Price

$799.95

✔ Sourced as an authentic, sealed product
✔ Inspected before it ships
✔ Packed with padded, glass-rated handling

Age: 12 years | Proof: 115

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

12yrs

Age statement

115

Proof · 57.5% ABV

Oct 15

2026 release

1st

Tribute Series release

Old Forester Tribute Series 2026 is a 12-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon whisky bottled at 115 proof (57.5% ABV), the first release of the annual, age-stated Tribute Series that Old Forester announced in Louisville on October 15, 2026. The whiskey aged twelve years in Old Forester's heat-cycled warehouses, and the brand says it brought its oldest age-stated stock together in one batch rather than bottling single barrels or single lots; the bottle is a faceted glass decanter modelled on the holiday decanters Old Forester issued each year from 1954 to 1969.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

One batch. Old Forester says it drew the 2026 release from its oldest age-stated stock and bottled it as a single batch, not barrel by barrel or lot by lot.

A proof range set in advance. Each Tribute release will be bottled between 110 and 125 proof, according to Old Forester; the first sits at 115 proof, or 57.5% alcohol by volume.

Heat-cycled warehouses. The twelve years were spent in warehouses Old Forester heat-cycles, a way of maturing whiskey the brand lists among the firsts the Tribute Series sets out to mark.

An annual series. Old Forester describes Tribute as a release that returns every year with an age statement; 2026 opens it at twelve years.

Nº 02

The Holiday Decanters

Decanters from 1950 · A new holiday decanter each year, 1954–1969

Old Forester introduced its decanters in 1950, and from 1954 through 1969 a new holiday decanter followed every year, each in a mid-century design; the Tribute bottle takes its cue from that run. Its front carries 1870, the year the brand dates itself from, and its neck label the signature of George Garvin Brown, who founded Old Forester in Louisville.

Nº 03

Construction & Identification

What the bottle records

Decanter

Vertical facets

Tall glass, faceted vertically, with metal accents.

Stopper

Engraved metal

A heavy metal stopper, engraved around its edge with Old Forester's historic quality statement.

Neck label

Year Release 2026

The release year, 115 proof and Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky, printed above George Garvin Brown's signature.

Medallion

Twelve years

A gold-toned medallion on the shoulder, bearing the 12 of the age statement and the Tribute Series name.

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distiller notes & position

Sensory Profile

Old Forester's note for the 2026 release puts buttery caramel and soft, sweet leather on the nose, with dried golden raisins and dark cherry behind them. On the palate a fizz of cherry cola and candied walnut gives way to cinnamon and cardamom; the finish turns to oak and cracked peppercorn, then cherry preserves and a dryness Old Forester likens to black tea.

Strategic Position

Old Forester put its Birthday Bourbon and Tribute releases of 2026 on sale six weeks apart. Birthday Bourbon 2026, an eleven-year batch bottled at 97 proof, came first, on September 2, George Garvin Brown's birthday; Tribute followed on October 15, a year older and 18 proof stronger.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault provenance

→

Release day

Old Forester announced the series and opened sales on the same day, October 15, 2026, shipping limited quantities to select retailers across the United States.

→

Old Forester's single barrels

Tribute is one batch, so every bottle shows the same age and proof. President's Choice Bourbon 2026, a single-barrel release with hand-written labels, works the other way: each bottle comes from one barrel, and its label records that barrel's age and strength.

Collector Index2026 RELEASE

Release: Tribute Series 2026
Edition: First
On sale: October 15, 2026
Age: 12 years
Strength: 115 proof · 57.5% ABV
Bottle: Faceted glass decanter

We list it in our bourbon collection, with Old Forester's Birthday Bourbon and President's Choice releases.

Nº 06

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Whisky	Old Forester Tribute Series, 2026 release
Class	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
Age statement	12 years
Proof · ABV	115 proof · 57.5% ABV
Batch	One batch of Old Forester's oldest age-stated stock · not single barrels or single lots
Maturation	Heat-cycled warehouses
Series	Tribute Series, annual · first release · each release bottled between 110 and 125 proof
Release	October 15, 2026 · select retailers nationwide
Decanter	Glass with vertical facets and metal accents, after Old Forester's holiday decanters of 1954–1969
Stopper	Heavy metal, engraved with Old Forester's historic quality statement
Producer	Old Forester Distilling Company, Louisville, Kentucky · Brown-Forman Distillers Co., Louisville, KY
Brand	Old Forester (Brown-Forman), established 1870
Format	700 mL

Nº 07

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

What is the Old Forester Tribute Series?

The Old Forester Tribute Series is an annual, age-stated bourbon release that Old Forester announced in Louisville on October 15, 2026, in honour of the brand's history, from its double-barrel expression to its heat-cycled maturation. Its first release, Old Forester Tribute Series 2026, is a 12-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon at 115 proof, bottled in a glass decanter modelled on the holiday decanters Old Forester issued from 1954 to 1969.

What proof is Old Forester Tribute Series 2026?

Old Forester Tribute Series 2026 is bottled at 115 proof, which is 57.5% alcohol by volume, and carries a 12-year age statement. Old Forester says every Tribute release will be bottled between 110 and 125 proof.

Is Old Forester Tribute Series 2026 a single barrel bourbon?

No. Old Forester bottled Tribute Series 2026 as one batch of its age-stated stock rather than as single barrels or single lots, so every bottle is 12 years old at 115 proof. The whiskey matured in Old Forester's heat-cycled warehouses before it was batched.

When was Old Forester Tribute Series 2026 released?

Old Forester released Tribute Series 2026 on October 15, 2026, the day it announced the series, to select retailers across the United States. It is the first release of the Tribute Series, which Old Forester plans to continue once a year.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Old Forester · Tribute Series 2026

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Old Forester Tribute Series 2026 — 12 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 115 Proof

Tribute Series

The Elemental Distinction

The Holiday Decanters