Old Forester Just Dropped Its Annual Unicorn Birthday Bourbon

The summer is almost over, if you can believe it. For most of the country, that means farewell to warm temperatures and cicada sounds, but it also means that some of the year’s most highly coveted bourbon releases are set to return. One of those is Old Forester’s Birthday Bourbon, and the distillery just announced the details of this usually fantastic new whiskey. The 2026 release of Birthday Bourbon marks the whiskey’s 26th appearance since it was first introduced in 2002. The bourbon is meant to commemorate the September 2 birthday of Old Forester founder George Garvin Brown, who opened the distillery in 1870. The makeup of this whiskey changes with each release, varying in proof, age, number of barrels, and their location in the warehouses, and other production details. This year’s Birthday Bourbon was selected by master distiller emeritus Chris Morris and assistant master Distiller Caleb Trigo. The bourbon was aged on the third floor of Warehouse B, which the distillery says is the oldest warehouse at Brown-Forman’s Shively distillery. (The company’s main distillery where the majority of Old Forester and Woodford Reserve are produced, along with brands like King of Kentucky.) One production detail was unplanned, according to the distillery—apparently, the new make spirit for this release was stored in the cistern room for six days because of a holiday weekend, which is longer than usual. That lowered the entry proof slightly to 124.4 from 125 “due to tank venting” and supposedly contributed to the bourbon’s “sweet and fruity character.” The bourbon was bottled at 11 years old and 97 proof. Unfortunately, we did not get to try the 2026 edition of Birthday Bourbon before publishing today because of a delivery snafu, but the official tasting notes describe aromas of ginger and baking spice on the nose, followed by honey, caramel, tobacco, and cherry on the palate, culminating in toasted oak and graham cracker on the finish. This year, Old Forester is collaborating with clothing brand Alpha Industries to release a limited-edition distiller’s jacket that coincides with the release of Birthday Bourbon. “Old Forester and Alpha come from very different worlds, but there’s a shared philosophy behind the two brands,” said Matt Pantoja, chief brand officer for Alpha Industries, about the collab. “Both were built around products that had to deliver on quality, function, and longevity. We wanted the jacket to reflect that—not simply put two names together, but create something that feels authentic to both histories and gets better with age and wear.” You can purchase the Old Forester x Alpha Industries jacket online starting September 10 for $250. This year’s Birthday Bourbon will be available at select retailers starting this month in limited quantities (SRP $200), now that the distillery’s initial sweepstakes to secure a chance to purchase a bottle has concluded.