Old Forester's Birthday Bourbon Adds a Year in the Barrel for 2026

Old Forester has released the 2026 edition of its Birthday Bourbon, aged eleven years and bottled at 97 proof. Those two figures are the first things collectors check with this release, since the age statement and proof point shift from year to year rather than holding fixed. Eleven years is on the longer end for a bourbon carrying an age statement at all, and 97 proof sits well above the standard 80-proof pour most spirits are bottled at. For drinkers who follow this release yearly, the new numbers give them something concrete to set against past editions.

With reporting from Robb Report Dining.