Old Forester Offers Its Rarest Bourbon Ever For Sale

The Old Forester 150th Anniversary Expression

Old Forester

Three years after Old Forester celebrated its 150th birthday, it has decided to offer its fans a once-in-a-lifetime gift—the chance to lay their hands on its rarest offering ever. Starting at 9:00 am on November 16, 2023, the distillery will sell the last 150 bottles of a 500-bottle lot initially reserved for the Brown family, who own Brown Forman and key partners connected to the distillery.

The genesis for this special bottling began in 2008 when Master Distiller Chris Morris hand-selected six barrels for the special bottling. They were then aged for 150 months (12.5) years in Warehouse J, top floor 8, Rick 22, tier 1. In 2020, they were blended and bottled into unique handmade decanters that paid homage to the Old Forester historic holiday decanters from the 1959s and 1960s.

While the first 350 bottles were dispersed throughout Brown Forman to lucky individuals, the 150 offered for sale were held back for special tastings and events the company had planned for 2020 for their 150th anniversary. But then the global pandemic scuttled all their plans, and the bottles were placed in storage.

“We knew that we wanted to do something special with these bottles and were just waiting for the right opportunity to come along,” says Old Forester Master Taster Melissa Rift. “So, we decided to make an event of it and offer something special to everyone who decided to buy one.”

The Old Forester 150th Anniversary Expression is priced at $2,500 apiece. The decanter is presented in a custom wooden handmade box crafted from wood recovered from the fire at Old Forester on Whiskey Row in Louisville, KY, in 2015. Since the decanters were never intended for public sale, they do not carry the Old Forester name but instead the Brown Forman name and logo. This is the only time the company has and ever will offer this, adding to their collectability factor.

The bottles will be only available for purchase online at oldforester.com. None will be sold at the distillery itself, and only one bottle will be available to any individual. People who purchase the bottle will have to present themselves at the distillery on December 5, the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. When they arrive to get their bottle, they will be treated to a private VIP tour of the Old Forester distillery and attend a cocktail party with members of the Brown family.

The Old Forester 150 Anniversary Expression decanter.

Old Forester

As for the liquid inside, Rift says it is exquisite.

“It has classic confectionary notes that you get from Old Forester. Butterscotch, chocolate, hazelnut, and brown sugar perfectly blend with classic fruit notes like sticky carnalized banana bread flavors we tend to get in some of our higher-aged bourbons. The finish has earthy wood tones with tobacco and burnt sugar characteristics. It’s a well-rounded bourbon that is a pleasure to sip. I wish we had more.”

Once the 150 bottles are gone, they will never be offered again, so if you are a collector, head to Old Forester and scoop one up unless you want to wait another forty-seven years for their 200th anniversary.