Old Forester’s Birthday Bourbon is one of those releases that bourbon lovers circle on the calendar every year. It’s not just a bottle, it’s a tradition — a celebration of founder George Garvin Brown’s birthday and a masterclass in what careful aging and blending can create.
This year, Old Forester is marking the 25th release of Birthday Bourbon with something special: a 12-year-old, 92-proof expression made entirely with a sweet mash. That’s right — for the first time in Birthday Bourbon history, there’s no “setback” in the fermentation process. Instead of using some of the spent mash from a previous distillation to keep consistency, the distilling team relied solely on freshly-propagated yeast.
The result? A silky and sweet profile that stands out in the Birthday Bourbon lineage. Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris and Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo selected 210 barrels from a single day’s production (April 5, 2013) in Warehouse K, drawing from floors 1 and 5. The change in process allowed the yeast to fully express its character, producing a flavor that’s both delicate and complex.
Tasting Notes
- Color: Honeycomb
- Nose: Herbal tea and cardamom, layered with raw oak, tropical fruits, and a hint of green apple
- Palate: Silky oak and vanilla balanced with sweet citrus and clove spice
- Finish: Candied apple and burnt sugar, rounded out with leather and chai spice
How to Get a Bottle
As with recent years, Birthday Bourbon won’t be available on the distillery’s birthday celebration day of September 2. Instead, bottles will be allocated through an online sweepstakes on OldForester.com, running August 18–21, 2025. Winners will have the chance to purchase their bottle (MSRP $199.99, one per customer) and must pick it up in person at the Old Forester Distillery between September 4 and December 20, 2025. Limited quantities will also find their way to select retailers nationwide.
Master Taster Melissa Rift summed it up perfectly: “There’s no better way to honor our founder than by sharing this rare and remarkable expression with bourbon lovers nationwide.”
With the combination of a sweet mash, a milestone anniversary, and the meticulous craftsmanship Old Forester is known for, the 2025 Birthday Bourbon might just be one of the most collectible and intriguing releases yet.