Old Forester's Tribute Series Debut Is A Throwback To The 1950's With Highest Age Statement Till Date
Old Forester's inaugural Tribute Series release will feature a 12-year-old Bourbon, which also marks the brand’s highest age-statement annual bottling to date.
The vintage-style decanter draws design cues from Old Forester’s mid-century decanters of the 1950s and 1960s, including an unreleased archive concept.
The limited expression will kick-start an annual series celebrating different aspects of Old Forester’s history: Established in 1870 by George Garvin Brown, Old Forester remains the sole American distillery under continuous family ownership across the pre-, intra-, and post-Prohibition eras, during which it held a federal permit to produce medicinal whiskey.
The brand has described the bourbon to open with aromas of warm caramel, sweet leather, golden raisins, and dark cherries. On the palate, notes of cherry cola and candied walnuts evolve into sweet cinnamon and cardamom, followed by a long finish of toasted oak, peppercorn, cherry preserves, and black tea.
Soon after Prohibition, Old Forester adopted heat-cycled maturation, maintaining elevated warehouse temperatures through winter to sustain year-round oak interaction. Master Taster Melissa Rift notes that historical documentation as early as 1941 described the system as "controlled weather," designed to prevent ambient drops that would otherwise halt wood extractives during cold months.
By preventing the seasonal dormancy typical of conventional maturation, heat cycling regulates development velocity without altering chronological age. Over a 12-year period, this continuous extraction produces a distinct flavor profile and oak integration compared to bourbons aged in unheated facilities.
Heat cycling accelerates evaporation, expanding the headspace within the cask and concentrating the remaining spirit. According to Rift, this heightened evaporation rate and increased oxygen exposure fundamentally alter maturation mechanics, yielding a more concentrated flavor profile.
The Tribute Series also revives Old Forester’s mid-century holiday decanters, several of which were designed by industrial design pioneer Raymond Loewy.
Although development of the Tribute Series spanned three years, reviving the mid-century decanters was a long-standing initiative. Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris championed the concept for decades, maintaining active involvement to bring the series to market even after stepping back from daily operations in 2023.
Bottled at 57.5% ABV, the expression boasts an MSRP of $300, which is also Old Forester’s most expensive release.
Kanpai
88 Bamboo Editorial Team
