Old Forester Releases ‘Rarest Bottle it Has Ever Produced’ — A 150th Anniversary Decanter With a $2,500 Price Tag

(Photo: Old Forester)

On Thursday, Old Forester announced the release of what it is hailing as “the rarest bottle it has ever produced” — a decanter filled with 12.5-year-old bourbon, releasing in honor of the storied brand’s 150th anniversary.

Only 500 bottles were crafted, and none were intended to be released to the public. Of the 500 bottles, 350 were designated for members of the Brown family — which owns Old Forester’s parent company, Brown-Forman, and “key partners,” according to the distillery.

The remaining 150 decanters were set aside for “special tastings and events” at Old Forester, but were put away in storage after the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to such events. Now, Old Forester is releasing the 150 decanters to the public.

Each decanter is filled with bourbon from barrels that were selected by Master Distiller Chris Morris on April 18, 2008. The whiskey was bottled in 2020 after aging on top floor 8, Rick 44, tier 1 in Old Forester’s Warehouse J.

Priced at $2,500, the 150th anniversary bottles released Thursday exclusively on the Old Forester website — and quickly sold out.

Those who purchased a decanter will be able to pick them up on Dec. 5, the anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, as part of a three-hour event at the distillery. Each bottle purchase includes a private VIP tour of the Old Forester distillery, plus cocktails and appetizers with members of the Brown family.

“Old Forester is the only bourbon to exist before, during, and after Prohibition – and what better way to celebrate that legacy than offering to the public this rare decanter,” Old Forester Master Taster Melissa Rift said in a news release.

Each decanter is presented in a custom, handmade box made from wood that was recovered from the fire that nearly destroyed Louisville’s Whiskey Row — including Old Forester – in 2015.

In August, Old Forester released the 2023 edition of its highly coveted Birthday Bourbon. To read our review, click here.

Join the Whiskey Raiders Bottle of the Month Club, where you will receive hard-to-find bottles curated by Whiskey Raiders staff with a 90+ rating on whiskeyraiders.com plus live virtual tastings. Sign up here!