Old Forester Just Launched a 12-Year Tribute to Its Own Legacy
Louisville's oldest name in bourbon just launched a new annual series, and the first one is a 12-year, 115-proof pour in a decanter that would look right at home on Don Draper's bar cart.
Some brands chase trends. Old Forester leans on more than 150 years of history. Today, October 15, the Whiskey Row brand rolled out the Tribute Series, a new annual, ultra-premium, age-stated release. The first edition is a 12-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon, and it's already hitting shelves in limited quantities. Here's everything you need to know before you start calling your favorite shop.
What Just Dropped
The 2026 Tribute Series is a batch of what Old Forester calls its "highest age-stated stock." That means no single barrels and no special lots. The idea is to blend the oldest whiskey in the warehouse into the best version of the house style. The barrels were picked by what the brand calls its "archives team": Master Taster Melissa Rift and Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo.
The mash bill is classic Old Forester: 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley. Like the rest of the lineup, it aged in Brown-Forman's heat-cycled warehouses, which are warmed with steam in the winter to keep the whiskey moving in and out of the wood all year.
"The Tribute Series celebrates the craftsmanship and innovation that has defined Old Forester for generations," Trigo said in the announcement.
Proof: 115 | Suggested price: $299.99 (700ml) | Availability: Limited quantities at select retailers nationwide, starting October 15, 2026
Why "Tribute"?
This series is Old Forester's nod to what it calls its "legacy of firsts." The brand was founded in Louisville in 1870 by pharmacist George Garvin Brown and bills itself as America's first bottled bourbon, sold only in sealed bottles at a time when most whiskey was poured straight from the barrel. It's also one of the few brands that made it through Prohibition, when Brown-Forman was one of just six distilleries licensed to keep going.
The packaging is the real history lesson. Back in 1950, Old Forester started making special decanters, and from 1954 through 1969 it put out an annual holiday decanter, many of them designed by the legendary industrial designer Raymond Loewy. The new Tribute bottle borrows that mid-century spirit with faceted architectural glass, metallic accents and a heavy metal stopper engraved with the brand's historic quality statement. It's built to be displayed, not hidden in the back of the cabinet.
Going forward, each annual release will be bottled somewhere between 110 and 125 proof, so expect the age and the proof to shift from year to year.
What's in the Glass
We haven't poured this one yet, so here's what Old Forester says to expect. On the nose: warm caramel, sweet leather, golden raisins and dark cherries. On the palate: cherry and candied walnuts that turn into sweet cinnamon and cardamom. The finish is long, with toasted oak, peppercorn, cherry preserves and black tea.
Early reviews are promising. Forbes contributor David Thomas Tao put it near the top of the Old Forester releases he's tasted over the last five years and said he found it more impressive than Birthday Bourbon. He did point out a woody finish that might be a little much for some drinkers.
The $300 Question
Let's be real: $299.99 is a lot of money, and Old Forester hasn't said how many bottles are out there. But 12-year Kentucky bourbon at 115 proof from a major distillery isn't something you see every day at retail. If you've been chasing Birthday Bourbon every September with no luck, this might be the more realistic bottle to hunt this fall. If you're a collector, the decanter alone makes it a strong conversation piece.
How to Pour It
Take your first pour neat in a Glencairn and give it a good ten minutes to open up. Twelve years of oak need some air. On your second pour, add a few drops of water to see if that cherry and cardamom come forward. Please don't put this one in a cocktail. Save that for the Old Forester 1920.
The Bottom Line
Old Forester just gave the bourbon world a new annual release to look forward to, and it starts with a strong one. If you see it, the price is steep but the story is real.
Are you hunting the Tribute Series, or holding out for next year's edition? Let us know in the comments. And for more stories from the rickhouse and beyond, catch the latest episode of Barrels, Banter & Blind Tigers, the Blind Tiger Collective podcast.
Please enjoy responsibly.
Header photo by Katherine Conrad on Unsplash.
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