New Old Forester Bourbon Release Aims To Get Back To This Whiskey's Batched Roots

Brown Forman’s Old Forester bourbon brand, having recently released its limited edition Birthday Bourbon for 2014, is back in the whiskey headlines again with the debut of a new Whiskey Row Series. This new range of expressions aims to highlight “significant milestones and production innovations” from the brand’s history, and the first release for it is tied to its 1870s batching roots.

Old Forester 1870 Original Batch, according to those behind it, is designed to

commemorate the year Old Forester became the first batched bourbon. Prior to its release, bourbon was sold by the barrel causing quality and taste profile to vary. Old Forester’s founder George Garvin Brown changed the industry by batching bourbon from three different distilleries to create a product that was consistent.

To recreate this in the modern day, the bourbon draws from three different warehouses’ barrels, each with a different day of production, entry proof and aging period. These were batched together into a new 90 proof offering that is pricing at $45 and above for a 750 ml bottle.

Tasting notes for the orange-brown colored 1870 Original Batch are below courtesy of Old Forester.

Aroma: Clove notes spice up a medley of citrus fruit (orange, grapefruit, blood orange), all softened with a delicate, sweet, floral honeysuckle character.

Flavor: Baking spices (clove, cinnamon, nutmeg) flow into a citrus fruit mix and shortbread sweetness.

Finish: Soft, with lingering fruit and spice character.