George Garvin Brown is not a household name, but he is a big name in the whiskey world. In 1870, the intrepid distiller founded a modest brand called Old Forester. Brown’s background in pharmaceuticals encouraged him to sell his new product in sealed glass bottles, something no other bourbon maker was doing at the time.
The consistent quality of their output was quickly embraced by a wide audience, and the rest, as they say, is drinking history. Today, Old Forester's parent company, Brown-Forman (which also owns Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve, and Early Times) sells more American whiskey than anyone else.
To commemorate its founder, Old Forester releases an extremely limited edition whiskey each year on Brown’s birthday, September 2. Appropriately named Birthday Bourbon, it has been a hit with collectors and connoisseurs since its debut in 2002. At the time, it was released as yet another innovation in the industry: the first vintage-dated bourbon.
Now it's time to get a taste of the 2024 version.
It’s safe to say it lives up to its Brown heritage. A slow nose from the mahogany sipper reveals a bowl of freshly picked stone fruit: nectarines, sliced plums, and overripe apricots, to be exact. On the sip, the 107-proof juice punches way above its weight class. That is, it offers a warming hint of cinnamon spice, molasses, and tobacco box, along with a hint of pronounced heat. It’s the kind of assertiveness that intoxicates bourbon enthusiasts. But most notable may be the whiskey’s rich mouthfeel, which has a nutty oiliness.
To achieve this enviable result, retired master distiller Chris Morris and master taster Melissa Rift hand-selected 209 barrels of what they deemed to be exceptional quality. The flavor profile of Birthday Bourbon changes from year to year, and that’s the whole point; a unique character that can never be replicated. But they’re always small batches. Since their inception, the age statement has always ranged from eight to 13 years (a range generally considered the ideal time for Kentucky bourbon maturation). The 2024 offering falls somewhere near the upper end of that spectrum.
Due to its rarity and uniqueness, Birthday Bourbon has been subject to out-of-control prices on secondary markets. To help alleviate this unfortunate trend, Old Forester has set up a special online raffle for fans to “win” a bottle for the retail price of $200. The only catch: You’ll need to get to the distillery in Louisville, KY before December 14th to claim your prize.
Beyond the Bluegrass State, you’ll have to rely on the kindness of your local liquor store to keep things reasonable. Since pricing on the last few releases has been coming back down to Earth lately, we like your luck. Your best bet for scoring one of these iconic, still-shaped bottles is to head out early and often on the morning of September 2. It’s George Carvin Brown’s birthday — and you can cry if you want — but we’d rather you just drink a great whiskey in his honor.
Related: We Tasted Hundreds of Bourbons. These Are the Best of 2024
