Old Forester’s 2020 release of its much-beloved Birthday Bourbon is just days away. This year’s bottle is one of the more unusual releases in recent years, and we’re surprised to say that that is a very good thing.
Birthday Bourbon, as it’s commonly known, is released every year to commemorate the birthday of Old Forester founder George Garvin Brown, on September 2. Each release is a small batch bourbon made entirely of barrels filled on the same date; for 2020, the entire batch is made of 95 barrels filled on June 5, 2010.
This year’s release marks a fairly substantial departure from last year’s with regards to proof. For 2019, Old Forester released the highest Birthday Bourbon proof ever: 105. The whiskey was bold and aggressive, showing those characteristic dark chocolate and cherry notes that are tell-tale of the Old Forester…