“Each year on September 2nd – in honor of our founder George Garvin Brown’s birthday – Old Forester releases a limited-edition, 12-year old vintage-dated expression. Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has become a must-have for bourbon enthusiasts who want to experience the ultimate in rare handcrafted bourbon. Since its introduction in 2002, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has received unprecedented acclaim, with an impressive collection of national and international whisky honors.” – oldforester.com

Note: All the barrels used to create this bourbon are from a single day’s production.

Company: Brown-Foreman Corporation

Distillery: Old Forester

Location: Lousiville, KY

Mash Bill: 72% corn/13% rye/15% barley

Age: 12 years

ABV: 48.5% (97 proof)

Released: 2014 (limited annual release every September 2nd)

Price: $40 (MSRP $60)

Color: Honey Strawberry Blonde

Nose: Sticky sweet smell, caramel, vanilla, brown sugary-goodness. Kind of like a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie. The smell is amazing. Probably one of my favorite noses.

Taste: Tastes of vanilla, nougat, cream, cherry, and almond. It does have some spice to it though, which helps to balance everything.

Finish: Lighter finish, with a light sweetness and light heat. A very lovely finish, overall.

Overall: I think I’ve died and gone to Bourbon heaven. Birthday Bourbons are my favorite (like everything else Bourbon…maybe my more favorite, favorite) But, if I catch a Birthday Bourbon from a year I haven’t tried at a bar, it’s on like Donkey Kong.  And, I don’t really do that with a lot of Bourbons regularly.

If you get a chance to grab one, do it! Although, if you’re the reason I don’t get one,  I might hunt you down. I’m soooooooooooooooo excited for this year’s! Hopefully, I’ll get to review it for you, fabulous readers.

Rating: 4.5/5