Old Forester Birthday Bourbon (2024) Review

It seems another 365 days have come and gone, and as I always end up disbelievingly realizing at this time of the year, that means it’s already time for another Old Forester Birthday Bourbon release. This year’s batch of the sought-after Brown-Forman bourbon, one of the most hotly desired within the entire company’s portfolio, will stand out to whiskey geeks for a few reasons, starting with its advanced age but especially because of its advanced strength. It matches the 12 year age statement of last year’s bottle, but sets a new high mark in terms of ABV/proof–a 53.5% ABV (107 proof) Birthday Bourbon expression. That’s not particularly high in the grand scheme of things when it comes to barrel proof releases from Brown-Forman–this is the same company that put out 140+ proof Jack Daniels Coy Hill batches–but it’s still a new high point for this premium Old Forester expression, which has more recently hovered in the 90 proof range. This year’s bottle eclipses the 2019 release, which was 105 proof.

Now, once upon a time, Birthday Bourbon was a brand that inspired a lot of whiskey-hunting individuals to camp out at the distillery itself in Louisville for the annual release. In 2022, the company decided to switch up how this bottle was being distributed, ending the in-person release at the distillery to instead favor the randomization (and theoretical fairness) of a nationwide sweepstakes. This sweepstakes is now entering its third year, and once again you can enter here at the official website. The only caveat is that the $200 MSRP bottles (up $50 from last year, sigh) must be picked up at the distillery in Louisville, which means those entering from around the country need to be prepared to go on a little vacation if they happen to be selected. It’s honestly a clever bit of marketing from the OF team, as it more or less guarantees a bunch of people making a cross-country pilgrimage to the distillery, where they’re likely to build lasting brand loyalty. Smart.

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Regardless, let’s dive right in to evaluating this year’s Birthday Bourbon release, which as previously mentioned is a 12-year-old expression that weighs in at 53.5% ABV (107 proof).

On the nose, the first thing that stands out to me here is vanilla buttercream–there’s a definite butter/dairy type element. That is supported by honey toffee and fresh apple slices, slightly tart, with clove and some charred oak. There are also some more earthy elements here, veering in a different direction from other recent Birthday Bourbon expressions–an oakiness that is slightly musty, with notes of dried tobacco. The ethanol stings a tiny bit, hinting at the more advanced proof than is typical for the series.

On the palate, this one leads off with deep molasses spice cake-type sweetness, with cola spice, roasty espresso and tobacco. There’s a charge of tingling pepper/chile, but what I keep circling back to is the sweeter cola-type spice, which is very prevalent. Flashes of dark fruit are present as well, evoking black cherry, with some sweet char on the finish as well. The oak favors that spicy-sweet dimension, though it contributes only mild tannin, for a subtle drying effect.

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. In this kind of ultra-high, luxury MSRP range, pretty much every release has to be utterly exceptional, and this one has elements that stand out nicely, but could probably be somewhat more multifaceted. Unfortunately, this is the higher level of scrutiny we need to bring to bear when we’re talking about price points in the hundreds of dollars, when bottles of bourbon begin to rival a monthly car payment. Hopefully those who win this particular sweepstakes will still feel they’ve gotten some degree of value.

Distillery: Old Forester (Brown-Forman)
City: Louisville, KY
Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
ABV: 53.5 (107 proof)
Availability: Limited, 750 ml bottles, $150 MSRP

Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident beer and liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.