About the product
Old Forester's Birthday Bourbon 2022 is an annual limited release celebrating the brand's heritage. This Kentucky straight bourbon is bottled at barrel proof, preserving the full intensity of its complex flavor profile featuring notes of vanilla, caramel, and warm spice. Aged to perfection and crafted from meticulously selected bourbons, this 750ml bottle represents the pinnacle of Old Forester's distilling expertise. A prized addition for bourbon enthusiasts and collectors seeking authentic, premium American whiskey with depth and character.
Tasting Profile & Food Pairings
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Elegant and complex. It opens with caramelized orange peel and cherry fruit, softened by vanilla bean and graham cracker, with underlying notes of toasted oak and cedar.
- Palate: Subtle and layered. The fruit flavors transition into sweet roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and cocoa, balanced by the charred character of seasoned oak.
- Finish: Smooth and light. It leaves a velvety trail of mocha and mocha-coffee with a lingering dark chocolate finish.
Food Pairings
- Savory: Cured Kentucky Ham (Prosciutto-style). The fatty, salty nature of the ham provides a perfect contrast to the bourbon’s sweetness and roasted coffee notes.
- Cheese: Aged Gouda. The caramel-like crystals in an aged Gouda harmonize beautifully with the graham cracker and vanilla notes in the 2022 profile.
- Sweet: Banana Cream Pie. This highlights the signature "Old Forester banana" ester while the creaminess tames the spice of the 11-year oak.
- The "Celebration" Pairing: Hand-Rolled Cigar. The dark chocolate and charred oak notes of the 2022 release make it a world-class companion for a medium-bodied cigar.
About the brand
Old Forester holds a unique place in American history as the only bourbon brand to be continuously produced and sold by the same founding family before, during, and after Prohibition. Established in 1870, it revolutionized the industry as the first bourbon ever sold exclusively in sealed glass bottles to guarantee quality. The brand is celebrated for its consistent high-rye mash bill, which delivers a signature profile of rich caramel, sharp baking spices, and a hint of banana. Today, it remains the flagship of Brown-Forman, operating out of its historic home on Louisville’s Whiskey Row, where it continues to lead with innovations like the vintage-dated Birthday Bourbon and the heritage-focused Whiskey Row Series.
