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.
Matthew is the founder/owner of Whiskey Consensus and lead whiskey geek for the brand. He likes his whiskey served neat at cask strength and always jumps at the chance to learn something new.