Old Forester 86 Proof Bourbon Whisky

The ‘old’ in Old Forester isn’t just a marketing ploy. The oldest bourbon in continuous production, it was first sold in 1870 (the first bourbon to be sold exclusively in a sealed bottle) old forester 86 proof bourbon  and it continued production through prohibition as one of only 10 brands authorized for medicinal production.

Founded by a former pharmaceutical salesman named George Garvin Brown, the original version of Old Forester was sold to pharmacies as a medicinal product. Named after Dr. William Forrester old forester 86 proof bourbon  (originally bottled with the double “r” as well), who endorsed its consumption, it is said that the second “r” was dropped to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest with the doctor.

The original Old Forester bourbon was a mixture of spirits distilled by other distilleries in the Kentucky area, but starting in 1902 they purchased Matingly’s distillery in Saint Mary, Kentucky to be the sole source.

While the company went through a series of mergers and acquisitions over the years, and is currently a publicly traded company, the original Brown family still owns over 70% of the shares of the company and de-facto control of the company.