Old Forester

As a travelling pharmaceutical salesman in 1870s Louisville, George Garvin Brown saw firsthand how unreliable, and at times dangerous, bourbon sales were - open barrels, adulterated goods, wildly inconsistent quality, even for whiskey doctors prescribed to patients. His solution was radically simple: in 1870 he blended whiskey from three different distilleries into a consistent flavour profile and bottled it exclusively in sealed glass bottles, each signed personally as his guarantee of quality. Old Forester - named after the respected physician Dr. William Forrester - became America's first bourbon sold exclusively in bottles rather than from the barrel, and remains the country's longest continuously bottled bourbon to this day.

Why is Old Forester called "America's First Bottled Bourbon"?

Before 1870, bourbon was mostly sold loose from barrels, encouraging adulteration and inconsistent quality. George Garvin Brown was the first to consistently offer his whiskey only in sealed, signed glass bottles - an innovation that makes Old Forester America's longest continuously produced bourbon.

How did the brand survive Prohibition?

Brown-Forman received one of only six federal licences permitting whiskey production for medicinal purposes during Prohibition (1920-1933) - making Old Forester one of the few brands that could be legally produced throughout.

Flavour profile

Taste: Bold and spiced with caramel, ripe fruit, a touch of pepper and a robust oak note - a classic, uncomplicated Kentucky bourbon.

Recommended enjoyment: Neat, on the rocks, or as the base for an Old Fashioned or Whiskey Sour.

Available as Old Forester Bourbon.

Facts and figures

Founded 1870 by George Garvin Brown in Louisville, Kentucky. America's first bourbon sold exclusively in glass bottles. One of six Prohibition-era production licences (1920-1933). Part of Brown-Forman to this day.