The 2024 release of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is aged for 12 years in Warehouses G and L and bottled at 53.5% ABV. Selected by master distiller emeritus Chris Morris, master taster Melissa Rift and assistant master distiller Caleb Trigo, it comes from 209 barrels. Released annually in honor of founder George Garvin Brown’s birthday on Sept. 2, it carries a suggested retail price of $200.
All told, this is a solid effort from a series with a mixed track record, and one of the more immediately approachable Birthday Bourbon offerings in recent years. Not terribly complicated, but maybe that’s just the ticket when it’s your birthday.
Longtime fans of the expression are going to enjoy digging into something a little lighter and brighter (and certainly higher proof). For Birthday Bourbon newbies lucky enough to taste it, this iteration showcases a slightly new profile for the annual release.
The taste starts off fruity at first, followed by cinnamon spice that takes over while oak tannins, cocoa beans, and honey slowly develop in the background. The finish has a caramel candy sweetness with lingering spice and a hint of tobacco. Very nice.
Still, I’m still not sure if it’s worth putting the time, effort, and money into hunting down a bottle when there are so many other expressions from the very same distillery/brand that are just as good, if not better.
The expectations for Old Forester Birthday Bourbon to deliver a great sip are raised every year due to its increasing price tag, and this year’s release struggles to fully back up its increased cost.
Overall, I like the spice-forward profile here, though it feels perhaps a little bit unbalanced in that direction–particularly when you factor in that we’re talking about a $200 bottle that you can’t help but expect a lot from as a result.
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House Review
Nose:
Heavy brown sugar, toffee, honey roasted peanuts, tobacco, waffle cone, pepper and ginger snap cookies. Light vanilla, nougat. Sweet oak.
Taste:
Moderate palate, a prickle of ethanol, honey, butter cream, nougat, butter scotch, bitter oak. Heavy bitterness over time, surprising given the lack of viscosity, and the ethanol grows.
Finish:
Long finish, fudge and cola driven, bitter oak, butterscotch, coffee and toffee.
Overall:
This year’s release takes a bit of a sweeter turn, but that odd, bitter note remains in a way that previous years have shaken.
Score:
85
Disclosure: The producer provided this sample to review free of charge, and without expectation of review or rating.
By T8ke
Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources
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