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Old Forester: The Bourbon That Outlasted Prohibition, Spoiled Expectations, and Still Sips Smooth
Chris Grimes & Stephen Bird
August 20, 2025
Old Forester Has Outlasted Prohibition, Spoiled Expectations, and Still Sips Smooth
Some bourbons are born classy, but Old Forester?
The dang thing survived Prohibition, invented bottled bourbon, and now puts whiskey nerds on notice.
Here’s your history lesson, tasting notes, and why you’re gonna wanna slip our Bourbon Scorebook into this mix.
Reply to this newsletter to request a digital copy of our Bourbon Book.
Lead Image Idea: A vintage glass-bottled Old Forester with its signature strip stamp, next to a modern tasting notebook and score sheet pages.
The OG of Bottled Bourbon
In 1870, George Garvin Brown, a pharmaceutical salesman, said “screw this hooch in barrels” and created the world’s first bottled bourbon, Old Forester, sealing consistency right out of the gate.
He sourced from three local distilleries and personally guaranteed the quality by signing the bottle.
Next came the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, which imposed stricter standards.
Old Forester built its Bottled-in-Bond expression around it, and even later bought Mattingly Distillery to lock in supply.
During Prohibition, almost no one was making whiskey.
Old Forester was one of the few allowed to continue production, for medicinal purposes, and is the only bourbon brand continuously sold before, during, and after the dry years.
Bourbon That Writes Its History
Old Forester’s Whiskey Row Series fuses taste with eras:
1870 Original Batch: A nod to the original blend, with sweet vanilla, citrus, and clove. (Sipping History)
1897 Bottled-in-Bond: Bold, spicy, with maple-peach smash cocktail vibes. (Wooden Cork)
1910 Old Fine Whiskey: Born out of a bottling fire, double-barreled, rich, toasted marshmallow and chocolate. Pair with pecan pie or dark chocolate. (Pascale’s Liquor)
1920 Prohibition Style: 115 proof, medicina, but make it smooth, with bold spice and sweet barrel notes. (Wooden Cork, Distiller)
1924 10-Year-Old: Smooth vanilla spice, barrel-aged excellence. (Central Kentucky Tours)
Tasting Notes & Pairings
Expression | Flavor Notes | Pair Well With |
|---|---|---|
1897 Bottled-in-Bond | Dark & spicy; think peach, caramel, coffee | Caramel candies, dark chocolate, coffee beans (Wooden Cork) |
1910 Old Fine Whisky | Sweet, smoky, toasted marshmallow, vanilla | Pecan pie, crème brûlée, chocolate pie (Pascale’s Liquor) |
1924 10-Year-Old | Smooth vanilla, spice, a kiss of smoke | Rich desserts, nut-based snacks |
2025 Birthday Bourbon | Herbal tea, cardamom, tropical fruit, spicy oak, chai, candied apple | Sophisticated sipping, fruity desserts (Food & Wine) |
Bonus: The 2025 Birthday Bourbon hits 25 years and swaps sour mash for sweet mash—resulting in a silky, delicate complexity at 92 proof.
Kentucky Dude Opinion
Old Forester is the bourbon that wrote the playbook, refused to fold during Prohibition, and now threatens your dessert table's dominance with its sweet complexity.
It’s not just history in a bottle, it’s heritage you can taste.
Pairing one of these with a grading session from our Bourbon Scorebook makes for a killer combo: you learn, sip, and flex that you’re a bourbon scholar.
Perfect for gifting or gate-crashing your happy hour.
