New Old Forester Repeal Bourbon
May 14th, 2008In addition to the annual release of the Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, this fall the folks at Brown-Forman will be releasing an entirely new whiskey called Old Forester Repeal Bourbon. Here’s the information I just received on it:
Old Forester Repeal Bourbon celebrates the 75th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition. The bottle will come in a gift pack along with a scroll of the 21st amendment which repealed prohibition. The bottle will be a 375ml bottle, the only size bottles could be produced during prohibition for medicinal purposes. Old Forester is the only bourbon still in existence today that was produced before, during and after Prohibition. No other bourbon brand sold in the U.S. today can make that claim.
I asked my Brown-Forman contact if it will be the same whiskey as the standard Old Forester but just in a different bottle, and here was the response:
It is actually completely different inside. In the words of (Master Distiller) Chris Morris, “it is an Old Forester that has more of a robust aged character that is similar to the Old Forester that was bottled during prohibition.”
There is no age claim on the bottle, but all of it was taken from at least a 10-year old sample. It will be 100 proof and will come in a gift pack only that will include a prohibition scroll, an Old Forester snifter and an Old Forester pen.
This sounds very exciting. And it will be great to compare this Old Forester bourbon to the others in the Old Forester family. When my review sample arrives, I’ll taste it and pass on my thoughts.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Interesting approach to a specialty product by Brown-Forman, and I applaud the effort, but for the sake of accuracy, the 375ml bottle did not exist during Prohibition, though it is the closest currently available to the pint bottle of the period, but containing measurably less product.
Another thought: if the whiskey in the bottle is really at least ten years old, why in the world would they not say so on the label? Hmmmm…
May 15th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Sam, I am not sure why there is no age statement. I will ask Chris Morris.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Here is Chris Morris’ response:
“A good question - BF’s philosphy is to talk about flavor rather than age. Notice even while Birthday Bourbon gives dates of ditillation and bottling it carries no age claim.”
May 16th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Thanks to the both of you! I hope to acquire a bottle, though I assume it will have to come from a less archaic state than ours, John!
May 17th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Yep, I wouldn’t count on finding the whiskey at your local shop in PA.
June 6th, 2008 at 3:56 am
Am I missing it, or is there not talk of when this will be released? I love the OF Birthday Bourbons and can’t wait to taste something else from BF.
June 6th, 2008 at 6:43 am
It will be in the fall. September?
July 6th, 2008 at 7:59 am
Nowhere does anyone say whether a 2008 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon will be marketed. Will it also come out in the fall?
JWT
July 6th, 2008 at 8:15 am
Yes, both are slated for the fall.
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:47 am
To be really authentic, wouldn’t this have to be bottled in bond?
I found this statement of Chris Morris interesting:
Some kind historian please correct me if I’m wrong, because Prohibition is a very confusing time in bourbon history, but I believe that Old Fitz is also in this exclusive club, due to Weller’s license to warehouse and sell being married with Stitzel’s license to distil. Or maybe it was the other way around. And…American Medical Spirits-cum-National Distillers had licenses to sell Old Grand-Dad/Taylor/Crow, among others; were they also permitted to distill during Prohibition?