Old Forester debuts 2025 Birthday Bourbon
The latest release in Old Forester’s highly coveted Birthday Bourbon series is the first to use the sweet mash process.
The 2025 release of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon was created without setback during fermentation, a process known as sweet mash. Typically, a sour mash process is used by which an older batch of mash is used to create a new one.
“For our 25th Birthday Bourbon release, the absence of setback allowed the yeast to express its full character, creating a flavour profile that’s both delicate and complex,” assistant master distiller Caleb Trigo said.
This year’s release of Birthday Bourbon was aged for 12 years and is bottled at 46% ABV. It was drawn from 210 barrels, all distilled on 5 April 2013, and aged in Warehouse K on floors one and five.
Birthday Bourbon will be available through an online sweepstakes running 18 to 21 August. Those who win an opportunity to buy a bottle through the sweepstakes must purchase and pick it up at the Old Forester Distillery in Louisville between 4 September and 20 December.
Priced at US$200, only one bottle can be purchased per customer. The 2025 Birthday Bourbon release will also be available in limited quantities at select retailers nationwide.
On the nose, the whiskey shows notes of herbal tea, cardamom, and hints of oak and green apple. The palate is silky and brings vanilla alongside sweet citrus and clove spice.
Each year, Old Forester celebrates the birthday of its founder, George Garvin Brown with the limited edition release. While Brown’s birthday is 2 September, the distillery will not be selling Birthday Bourbon on that date as it has in previous years.
“There’s no better way to honour our founder than by sharing this rare and remarkable expression with Bourbon lovers nationwide,” master taster Melissa Rift added.
The 2024 release of Birthday Bourbon was aged for 12 years and bottled at 53.5% ABV. It was aged in Warehouses G and L.
The parent company of Old Forester, Brown-Forman, saw organic full-year revenue rise by 1%. Premium Bourbon boosted whiskey sales with Woodford Reserve and Old Forester both up by 8%.
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