Old Forester Tribute Series 2026: A 12-Year-Old Bourbon in a Mid-Century Decanter, $299.99

Old Forester has introduced the Tribute Series, a new annual ultra-premium age-stated release. The inaugural 2026 edition is a 12-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey bottled at 115 proof, presented in a collectible bottle inspired by the brand's historic holiday decanter collection, first introduced in 1950 and produced annually from 1954 through 1969. The release brings together Old Forester's highest age-stated stock rather than relying on single-barrel or single-lot selections, and future editions will be bottled between 110 and 125 proof. The distillery describes aromas of warm caramel, sweet leather, golden raisins and dark cherries, with cherry and candied walnuts on the palate evolving into sweet cinnamon and cardamom, and a long finish of toasted oak, peppercorn, cherry preserves and black tea. Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo is quoted in the release. The 2026 Tribute Series is available beginning October 15, 2026, in limited quantities at select retailers nationwide, for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $299.99.

Old Forester's annual Birthday Bourbon is one of the releases we follow closest. Our review of the 2025 Birthday Bourbon scored 8.1/10. The Tribute Series is a different idea: an annual release built from the brand's oldest stock and dressed in a decanter that nods to the holiday bottles of the 1950s and 60s. At $299.99 it is priced as a collectible, and we have not tasted it, so there is no score and no verdict yet.

Read our Birthday Bourbon 2025 review (8.1/10).

Source: Old Forester press release, October 15, 2026. Read the full release (PR Newswire).