Old Forester is known for the breadth of its portfolio, which ranges from lower-proof, affordable core expressions to annual unicorn releases like Birthday Bourbon. One that leans toward the latter category is President’s Choice, a whiskey collector’s favorite that includes single barrel expressions of bourbon and rye whiskey. We got to sample the 2026 edition, and it’s very good.

Old Forester was founded in 1870 by George Garvin Brown, and the brand claims to have been continuously in the whiskey market for longer than any other. Brown also founded Brown-Forman, the company that still exists to this day and owns other brands like Jack Daniel’s and Woodford Reserve. During Prohibition, Old Forester was one of just a handful of brands that were given licenses to produce medicinal whiskey. Today, the whiskey is produced at Brown-Forman’s Shively Distillery, although it also has a home on Louisville’s Whiskey Row where a small still produces small amounts of whiskey.

President’s Choice was originally released in 1964, but at the time you had to literally purchase an entire barrel of bourbon selected by the company’s president. The brand relaunched in 2018, and was a very limited release until last year when it became available nationally (albeit still in small numbers)—and it also added a rye whiskey to pair with the bourbon. “It’s always an exciting time for us to bring the next iteration of President’s Choice to whiskey enthusiasts who truly cherish exceptional taste,” said Old Forester master taster Melissa Rift in a statement. “Our process of tasting each barrel is rooted in the history of this label, and this year’s release is no exception.”

This year’s release was selected by Rift and assistant master distiller Caleb Trigo from barrels aged between seven and nine years, and bottled between 110 and 125 proof depending on the barrel.
“Bringing this coveted bottle to audiences means tasting for the highest, most extraordinary depth of our best barrels, which are always hand selected and tasted by us,” said Trigo. “Craftsmanship is at the heart of every Old Forester bottle and both this bourbon and rye selection are the peak expressions we offer.” Both are exceptional, although I can’t say for sure what proof they are because the samples were not labeled with that information (kind of an oversight, but oh well). The bourbon pops with deep flavors of oak, ripe plum, dried blueberry, vanilla, caramel, and flamed orange peel; the rye has a nice spice bite that settles into sweet notes of maple, dried apricot, cherry, and fig.

The suggested retail price for each President’s Choice bottle is $225, but you should expect to pay more than that on the secondary market. You will have an opportunity to buy a bottle this weekend, however: starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday June 13, a limited number will be available to purchase in person at the distillery and the online store.