Old Forester
Encyclopedia
Old Forester is a brand of Kentucky
Straight
Bourbon Whiskey
produced by the Brown-Forman Corporation. It has been continuously on the market longer than any other brand of bourbon (approximately 140 years as of 2011), and it was the first bourbon sold exclusively in sealed bottles. It was first bottled and marketed in 1873 by the former pharmaceutical salesman turned bourbon-merchant George Garvin Brown – the founder of the Brown-Forman Corporation (whose descendants still manage the company). During the Prohibition
period from 1920 to 1933, it was one of only 10 brands authorized for lawful production (for medicinal purposes).
Old Forester is produced under the supervision of Master Distiller Chris Morris (as of 2006) at the Brown-Forman distillery in Shively, Kentucky
(which is located directly adjacent to the Southwest boundary of Louisville
) using a mash bill
of 72% corn
(maize), 18% rye
, and 10% malt
ed barley
(the same mash bill used for Woodford Reserve
). Its mash bill has been described as “pretty standard” and “richer in rye than most bourbons”.
Bottling variations include Old Forester Classic (86 proof / 43% abv
, 4 years old), Old Forester Signature (100 proof / 50% abv), and Old Forester Birthday Bourbon (introduced in 2002, 95 proof / 47.5% abv in 2010 bottling).
. The sealed bottle approach was popular with doctors and with the pharmacists that sold the product, and their approval was touted in advertisements of the product to the general public.
Originally, the product name was spelled “Old Forrester”, with a double ‘r’. The product is reported to have been named after a physician Dr. William Forrester who endorsed its consumption, and the renaming is conjectured to have been a way to avoid direct reference to the physician's name. Originally formed by George Garvin Brown and his half-brother John Thompson Street Brown (J.T.S. Brown
, who would also later figure into the history of the Four Roses Distillery
and inspire the naming of a brand of bourbon produced by Heaven Hill Distilleries
), the company that produces the product was originally registered as J.T.S. Brown & Bro., and became Brown-Forman in 1902 after several partnerships and name changes involving partners James Thompson (who was also involved in the Glenmore Distillery Company
and created the Old Thompson
brand), Henry Chambers, and George Forman. George Garvin Brown became sole owner by 1902, and although Brown-Forman is now a publicly-traded company on the New York Stock Exchange
, the Brown family still controls more than 70% of the voting shares
(as of 2010).
To produce his Old Forester product, Brown would initially purchase whiskies from distillers such as John Atherton and Ben Mattingly, and blend them together. In 1902, he then purchased Mattingly's distillery in Saint Mary (a town in Marion County, Kentucky
).
Until Prohibition in the United States
began in 1920, Old Forester was the leading brand produced by Brown's company. Since then, other brands acquired later by the company, such as Early Times
(purchased in 1923, which became America's best-selling bourbon and maintained high sales for 30 years) and Jack Daniel's
(purchased in 1956 and currently the best-selling whiskey of any kind in the world, as of 2007), have become its leading products.
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
Straight
Straight whiskey
Straight whiskey is whisky created by distilling a fermented cereal grain mash to create a spirit not exceeding 80% alcohol content by volume and then aging the spirit for at least two years at an abv concentration not exceeding 62.5% at the start of the aging process.Filtering and dilution...
Bourbon Whiskey
Bourbon whiskey
Bourbon is a type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name of the spirit derives from its historical association with an area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky . It has been produced since the 18th century...
produced by the Brown-Forman Corporation. It has been continuously on the market longer than any other brand of bourbon (approximately 140 years as of 2011), and it was the first bourbon sold exclusively in sealed bottles. It was first bottled and marketed in 1873 by the former pharmaceutical salesman turned bourbon-merchant George Garvin Brown – the founder of the Brown-Forman Corporation (whose descendants still manage the company). During the Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
period from 1920 to 1933, it was one of only 10 brands authorized for lawful production (for medicinal purposes).
Old Forester is produced under the supervision of Master Distiller Chris Morris (as of 2006) at the Brown-Forman distillery in Shively, Kentucky
Shively, Kentucky
Shively is a city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 15,157 at the 2000 census. It is located southwest of Louisville, Kentucky and directly adjoins the larger city. Shively is centered around the junction of US 60 and the Dixie Highway.-History:Shively was first...
(which is located directly adjacent to the Southwest boundary of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
) using a mash bill
Mash ingredients
Mash ingredients, mash bill, or grain bill are those materials used in brewing from which a wort can be obtained for fermenting into alcohol...
of 72% corn
Corn
Corn is the name used in the United States, Canada, and Australia for the grain maize.In much of the English-speaking world, the term "corn" is a generic term for cereal crops, such as* Barley* Oats* Wheat* Rye- Places :...
(maize), 18% rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
, and 10% malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
ed barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
(the same mash bill used for Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve
Woodford Reserve is a brand of premium small batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey produced by the Brown-Forman Corporation. It is distilled at the company's Woodford Reserve Distillery, and marketed under the former company name for the distillery, Labrot & Graham. The distillery is located in...
). Its mash bill has been described as “pretty standard” and “richer in rye than most bourbons”.
Bottling variations include Old Forester Classic (86 proof / 43% abv
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....
, 4 years old), Old Forester Signature (100 proof / 50% abv), and Old Forester Birthday Bourbon (introduced in 2002, 95 proof / 47.5% abv in 2010 bottling).
History
When the product was introduced in the 1870s, bottles of Old Forester were sealed as a way to guard against adulteration and substitution of the contents, and were initially sold in pharmacies as a medicinal product. The innovation introduced with Old Forester was not that it was available in such bottles, but that it was the first bourbon to be exclusively available in this fashion – providing a greater level of assurance of quality for that brand relative to other products in the market. This innovation was enabled and further fueled by emerging advances in the mass production of glass bottles, such as those soon to be developed by Michael OwensMichael Joseph Owens
Michael Joseph Owens was an inventor of machines that could automate the production of glass bottles.-Biography:...
. The sealed bottle approach was popular with doctors and with the pharmacists that sold the product, and their approval was touted in advertisements of the product to the general public.
Originally, the product name was spelled “Old Forrester”, with a double ‘r’. The product is reported to have been named after a physician Dr. William Forrester who endorsed its consumption, and the renaming is conjectured to have been a way to avoid direct reference to the physician's name. Originally formed by George Garvin Brown and his half-brother John Thompson Street Brown (J.T.S. Brown
J.T.S. Brown
J. T. S. Brown is a Kentucky bourbon whiskey produced by the Heaven Hill Distillery of Bardstown, Kentucky, USA and bottled by the distiller. It is 40% alcohol by volume , or 80 proof. There is also a 100 proof, bottled in bond version.-Reviews:...
, who would also later figure into the history of the Four Roses Distillery
Four Roses
Four Roses is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey brand owned by the Kirin Brewery Company of Japan. The brand was established in 1888. The trademark was probably named for company founder Rufus Mathewson Rose, his brother Origen, and their two sons, although it is somewhat unclear, as several...
and inspire the naming of a brand of bourbon produced by Heaven Hill Distilleries
Heaven Hill
Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., is a private family-owned and operated distillery company headquartered in Bardstown, Kentucky that produces and markets the Heaven Hill brand of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and a variety of other distilled spirits. Its current distillery facility, called the...
), the company that produces the product was originally registered as J.T.S. Brown & Bro., and became Brown-Forman in 1902 after several partnerships and name changes involving partners James Thompson (who was also involved in the Glenmore Distillery Company
Glenmore Distillery Company
Glenmore Distillery CompanyOriginally the R.Monarch Distillery founded in 1849 in Owensboro, Kentucky, the company entered bankruptcy proceedings in 1898. Monarch had long been producing brands that included Kentucky Tavern and Glenmore at the plant in Owensboro. In 1901 the company was acquired...
and created the Old Thompson
Old Thompson
Old Thompson is a brand of blended American whiskey produced by Barton Brands, which is now owned by the Sazerac Company. It is known for its low price among brands of American whiskey. The company refers to it as "an excellent value"...
brand), Henry Chambers, and George Forman. George Garvin Brown became sole owner by 1902, and although Brown-Forman is now a publicly-traded company on the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
, the Brown family still controls more than 70% of the voting shares
Voting shares
A voting share is a share of stock giving the stockholder the right to vote on matters of corporate policy and the composition of the members of the board of directors....
(as of 2010).
To produce his Old Forester product, Brown would initially purchase whiskies from distillers such as John Atherton and Ben Mattingly, and blend them together. In 1902, he then purchased Mattingly's distillery in Saint Mary (a town in Marion County, Kentucky
Marion County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,212 people, 6,613 households, and 4,754 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 7,277 housing units at an average density of...
).
Until Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
began in 1920, Old Forester was the leading brand produced by Brown's company. Since then, other brands acquired later by the company, such as Early Times
Early Times
Early Times is a brand of Kentucky whisky produced by the Brown-Forman Corporation. The whisky sold under this brand name outside the United States is labelled as bourbon, while most of the brand bottlings sold within the U.S. do not meet the qualifications for marketing as a bourbon and are just...
(purchased in 1923, which became America's best-selling bourbon and maintained high sales for 30 years) and Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
(purchased in 1956 and currently the best-selling whiskey of any kind in the world, as of 2007), have become its leading products.
Awards and recognitions
Some awards and recognitions for the brand include the following:- Old Forester Birthday Bourbon (95 proof / 47.5% abv in 2010 bottling, brand variation introduced in 2002):
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition:
- "double gold medal" award: 2003
- "gold medal" award: 2006, 2007
- "silver medal" award: 2005
- "best bourbon aged under 10 years" in Jim Murray'sJim Murray (writer)Jim Murray is an English writer and journalist. He is best known for his observations on whisky and his annually updated book on the subject, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible.-Life:Murray was born in Merstham, Surrey...
Whisky Bible 2006 (ISBN 1-84442-550-9): 2005 - rated 91 on a 100 point scale (with the range 90–94 being referred to as "Outstanding! One of the best for its style. Distinctive.") by John Hansell of Malt Advocate Magazine: 2010
- named an "American Whiskey of the Year" at Malt Advocate WhiskyFest New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
2007 - other recognitions by USA Today, Whisky Magazine, Spirit Journal, and Santé
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition:
- Old Forester Signature (100 proof / 50% abv):
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition:
- "gold medal" award: 2003
- "double gold medal" award: 2004
- "best bourbon of show" award: 2004
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition: