Old Forester Partners With Kingsman Movie Franchise For New Bourbon

The Kingsman movie franchise, so far represented by Kingsman: The Secret Service, is getting ready to debut the “The Golden Circle” sequel in September. As is common with movies like these, product tie-ins abound, whether it is Apple computers, Ferrari sports cars or, in the case of the new sequel, Brown-Forman’s Old Forester whiskey label. What’s resulting from this partnership is pretty cool actually, taking the form of a new bourbon named after a spy organization in the movie.

Old Forester Statesman, as the bourbon is being called, is named after the Statesman, an American spy agency allied to the Kingsman entity, who is the fictional center of the movie. The Statesman, based in Louisville, Kentucky, must, of course, have alternative identities to protect their secrets, so they thus pass themselves off as master distillers. As part of this, the bourbon will play a prominent role in the actual movie itself alongside being a store shelf product.

The Statesman bourbon, which looks to be non-age statement in nature, has the same mash bill as regular Old Forester, but offers to those who try it “a unique taste profile” that’s most likely tied to (1) being bottled at 95 proof as opposed to the typical 86 or 100 choices and (2) that the barrels from which this bourbon came from were stored in some of the warmest places in the aging warehouses (meaning, likely, the top floors).

Plans call for this new Old Forester expression, which is copper in color, to be released in August, just a month ahead of the movie’s release. It will price around $55 a bottle, and you can find official limited tasting notes for it below from Brown-Forman.

“Bourbon is an American tradition that Old Forester has celebrated for five generations, and we’re proud to reinforce the authenticity of the characters, The Statesman, as bourbon distillers,” said Campbell Brown, President of Brown-Forman, in a prepared statement.

• Aroma: Devil’s food, clove and oak spice with an undercurrent of raw vanilla
• Taste: Buttery leather is quickly dominated by a bold flash of pepper, cinnamon bark and sharp citrus
• Finish: Intense spice and eucalyptus which fade into orange cream and caramel