Home Bourbon Old Forester 2022 Birthday Bourbon

Old Forester 2022 Birthday Bourbon

September 5, 2022 · By Matthew Evans · 9.3 / 10
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Whiskey Consensus Score
9.3 /10
Outstanding
Score Breakdown
Nose
9.2
Palate
9.4
Finish
9.5
Complexity
9.2
Value
9
Consensus Score
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9.3
/ 10
Our Verdict
Outstanding

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is an annual release from Old Forester celebrating its founder, George Garvin Brown.

The Good

  • Cake-Like Profile
  • Exceptional Bourbon

The Bad

  • Extremely Limited
  • High Secondary Prices
Woodford Reserve Batch Proof 118.4 Proof Bourbon

A Little Background

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is an annual release from Old Forester celebrating its founder, George Garvin Brown. Birthday Bourbon is released every year on September 2nd in honor of George Garvin Brown’s birthday. The 2022 release of Birthday Bourbon is bottled at 96 proof, has an 11 Year age statement and carries a retail price of $169.99 USD. This small batch bourbon was hand selected by Master Distiller Chris Morris for its unique character and flavor.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Dark Gold

Nose

Lemon vanilla icing, sweet orange citrus, nutmeg, caramel pudding, colored marshmallows, and cinnamon later on.

Palate

Rich and oily mouthfeel. Creamy banana/vanilla pudding, mocha, pound cake, smokey campfire, dark chocolate, coffee, and oak.

Finish

Pleasantly long with notes of cocoa, cinnamon dust, oak, and lingering dark chocolate.

In closing

The 2022 release of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon doesn’t disappoint. It presents a wonderful pound cake-like component, along with gobs of chocolate and mocha coffee. For me, I found this bourbon to resemble something similar to a freshly baked Boston Creme Pie. Amazing! Although the alcohol content is relatively low at just 96 proof, the mouthfeel doesn’t disappoint. This release of Birthday Bourbon exceeds expectations and is everything a limited release Bourbon should be.

NOTE: The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Old Forester. We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review it with no strings attached.

Old Forester 2022 Birthday Bourbon

96 Proof
9.3

Nose

9.2/10

Palate

9.4/10

Finish

9.5/10

Complexity

9.2/10

Value

9.0/10

The Good

  • Cake-Like Profile
  • Exceptional Bourbon

The Bad

  • Extremely Limited
  • High Secondary Prices
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Birthday Bourbon Bourbon Old Forester Review

Every bottle on Whiskey Consensus is evaluated across five categories on a 1–100 scale. The five scores are averaged to produce a final overall score out of 10.

Nose
Aroma, complexity & first impressions
Palate
Flavor, balance & mouthfeel
Finish
Length, character & quality
Complexity
Depth, layers & evolution in the glass
Value
Quality relative to retail price
Score Rating What It Means
9.5 – 10.0ExceptionalOne for the history books
9.0 – 9.4OutstandingA benchmark expression
8.5 – 8.9GreatSeek this bottle out
8.0 – 8.4Very GoodAbove average in every way
7.5 – 7.9GoodWorth your money
7.0 – 7.4Above AverageA solid everyday pour
6.5 – 6.9AverageUnremarkable but drinkable
6.0 – 6.4Below AverageHard to recommend
5.5 – 5.9Hard PassBetter options at this price
0.0 – 5.4AvoidNot worth your time or money
Matthew Evans
About the Author
Matthew Evans
Whiskey Reviewer · Whiskey Consensus  · 514 posts

Matthew is the founder and visionary behind Whiskey Consensus. What began as a project to explore the Instagram platform and share a love for whiskey has evolved into so much more. Professionally, Matthew works in digital marketing as a solutions engineer and sales leader, bringing innovative strategies to the table. Outside of work, Matthew is an avid runner, as well as a car and watch enthusiast. He is also deeply committed to giving back to the community through various volunteer responsibilities.

More by Matthew Evans →

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