Modified on June 11, 2026 ,
Published on June 10, 2026
Old Forester
Old Forester is known for the breadth of its portfolio, which ranges from lower-proof, affordable core expressions to annual unicorn releases like Birthday Bourbon. One that leans toward the latter category is President’s Choice, a whiskey collector’s favorite that includes single barrel expressions of bourbon and rye whiskey. We got to sample the 2026 edition, and it’s very good.
Old Forester was founded in 1870 by George Garvin Brown, and the brand claims to have been continuously in the whiskey market for longer than any other. Brown also founded Brown-Forman, the company that still exists to this day and owns other brands like Jack Daniel’s and Woodford Reserve. During Prohibition, Old Forester was one of just a handful of brands that were given licenses to produce medicinal whiskey. Today, the whiskey is produced at Brown-Forman’s Shively Distillery, although it also has a home on Louisville’s Whiskey Row where a small still produces small amounts of whiskey.
