139: Kicking Off Bourbon Heritage Month with Old Forester 117 Series

Jackie Zykan, Master Taster for Old Forester, is back on the Bourbon Lens Podcast.  This time, we talk about the unique, new offering from her 117 Series; Warehouse K Barrels.  We discuss the various warehouses of Old Forester and what makes some of them unique and different; including the spiders of Warehouse K.  A true bourbon nerd is going to love the insight Jackie provides in this episode.  We discuss the construction of various warehouses, heat cycling warehouses, finding the perfect balance of proof and flavor, and more.  Enjoy this episode and be sure to let us know what your favorite Old Forester Whisky is!

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Scott, Jake, & Michael
Bourbon Lens

 

Press Release: Old Forester’s The 117 Series: Warehouse K Barrels Batch  

Louisville, Ky. (August 11, 2021) – Today, Old Forester Distilling Co. announces the release of the second expression in the 117 Series -- a blend of barrels from historic Warehouse K.   

The 117 Series is a limited-expression lineup created in Spring 2021, directed by the unique palate of Old Forester Master Taster Jackie Zykan. 

117 Series: Warehouse K features a blend of barrels aged on different floors from a warehouse known to produce exceptional liquid. Constructed in 1953, Warehouse K uses the time-honored tradition of heat-cycling and has long been one of Old Forester’s favorite places for Single Barrel expressions. 

"Warehouse K has gained a cult following among bourbon connoisseurs,” Zykan said. “This blend is a representation across multiple floors and locations within this warehouse, giving a more holistic example of the profile its barrels yield." 

This year marks Old Forester’s 151st anniversary, making it the only bourbon brand with an uninterrupted history, sold by the same family company before, during, and after Prohibition.  

Old Forester Warehouse K is bottled at 110 proof and will be available starting August 12th at the retail shop at Old Forester Distilling Co. for $49.99 in limited quantities -- and at select Kentucky stores.  Visit OldForester.com for more information. 

Distillery Notes: 

• Color:   Rich honey 
• Aroma: On the nose, creamy chocolate, caramel, and brown sugar lead, with a hint of golden raisin and a foreshadowing of the pepper the finish will unveil. 
• Taste: The palate brings with it a full-bodied and rich viscosity, peripheral spice, and a  touch of black cherry alongside bitter molasses. 
• Finish: The robust yet balanced spice finish completes the story of the well-known complexity which is the K warehouse. 

Links:

• Old Forester - First Bottled Bourbon™
• 95: Old Forester Master Taster, Jackie Zykan - Bourbon Lens 
• Old Forester 117 Series: Warehouse K Bourbon Review 

Image Credit: Old Forester and Brown-Forman

The Legacy of Brown-Forman begins with Old Forester - Old Forester Bourbon History & a Legacy of “Firsts”

• 1846 George Garvin Brown (GGB) was born in Munfordville, KY.
• 1870 GGB, a young pharmaceutical salesman starts J.T.S. Brown and Bro. with his half-brother with $5,500 in saved and borrowed money.
• Old Forester becomes America’s First Bottled Bourbon​, the first bourbon to be sold exclusively in sealed glass bottles to ensure quality and consistency, an innovative approach at a time when whisky is commonly sold by the barrel.
• Their offices are housed at 322 W. Main Street
• Old Forester was blended from different distilleries, including Mattingly, Atherton and Mellwood to create a consistent flavor profile. Old Forester is originally presented at 90 Proof.
• Old Forester is named after a prominent physician and friend of GGB, Dr. William Forrester who endorsed Brown’s innovative concept of medicinal whisky sold only in sealed glass bottles. Old Forester, originally spelled with 2 “r”s to be associated with the doctor, drops the second “r” when Forrester retired.
• 1882-1919 Brown-Forman offices and bottling lines were housed at 125 W. Main Street (today 119 W. Main Street). Main Street was the hub of the bustling bourbon business in Kentucky, home to 89 distilling companies. Only one of those companies is still operating today – Brown-Forman and its founding brand, Old Forester.
• 1890 George Garvin Brown gifts first single barrel selection to then Governor of Kentucky, Simon Bolivar Buckner
• 1897 U.S. Bottled in Bond Act is enacted. Old Forester moves to 100 Proof to comply with regulations.
• 1901 George Garvin Brown moved from blender to distiller with the purchase of B.F. Mattingly Distillery.
• 1910 Fire on the bottling line, housed at 125 Main Street (today 119 W. Main Street) threatened the building and the business. (October 2, 1910)
•  1920 Prohibition begins.
• Brown-Forman applies for and receives No. 3 of only six federal licenses in the state of Kentucky to continue selling Old Forester for medicinal purposes.
• 1924 Brown-Forman and Old Forester moves its headquarters to Howard Street at Dixie Highway
• 1933 Prohibition repealed. Old Forester increases production.
• Old Forester is the only Bourbon sold by the same company before, during and after Prohibition.
• 1941 Old Forester begins producing industrial alcohol (ethanol) to help World War II efforts.
• 1951 Old Forester is the first to issue Holiday Decanters
• 1959 Old Forester 86 Proof introduced, 100 Proof retained.
• 1964 Old Forester The President's Choice introduced by then President George Garvin Brown II
• 1970 Old Forester celebrates its 100th anniversary
• 2002 Old Forester celebrates the 156th birthday of founder George Garvin Brown with a limited-edition Old Forester Birthday BourbonTM on his birthday, Sept 2. Birthday Bourbon is the result of a single day’s production and aged 12 years.
• 2014 Brown-Forman announces plans for Old Forester distillery on Whiskey Row
• 2015 Fire on Whiskey Row; 119 W. Main was not fire damaged, it becomes a vital piece of support while structural integrity was restored to the entire block, delaying completion by about one year. (July 7, 2015)
• 2018 Old Forester Distilling Co. returns home to Whisky Row and opens at 119 W. Main Street, housed in the same building that the brand called home from 1882 – 1919.
• Old Forester is the only bourbon continually sold by the same company before, during, and after Prohibition.
• Old Forester distillery is the only downtown distillery which houses an active cooperage, charring barrels in the same facility where spirits are being aged.
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