It’s that time of year, folks. Fall bourbon releases are here, and two of the biggest bourbons just dropped — Old Forester Birthday Bourbon and Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch. This is not a drill.
These bourbons are so massive that they cause seismic activity in the bourbon-drinking world. So much so that to avoid rampages by bourbon fans, each of these bottles is only available via a lottery system. Now to be clear, that’s not a lottery wherein you “win” a bottle for free. These are lotteries wherein you “win” the privilege to buy a bottle. One bottle. In Kentucky. And yes, people make special trips from all over the world to pick these bottles up — they’re that coveted. These are the big leagues and just releasing these bottles in liquor stores or bottle shops at distilleries would be too much chaos, so here we are.
Below, I’m going to review each bottle and lay out how to actually throw your hat in the ring to win the honor of being able to buy one of these masterpiece whiskeys at MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) this fall. If you don’t win a chance to get one now, well, there’s always the secondary market and massively inflated prices. Plus, it’s free to enter. So you have nothing to lose in playing the game. Let’s dive in!
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Old Forester 2023 Birthday Bourbon
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $169 (Sweepstakes Only)
The Whiskey:
This year’s Birthday Bourbon is a subtle masterpiece expression from Lousiville’s oldest distillery. The whiskey in the bottle is hewn from 103 barrels that were filled on May 5th, 2011. Those barrels were housed on the 5th floor of Warehouse I in Louisville for 12 years for batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Candied orange peels draw you in on the nose as molasses and rum raisin lead to salted dark chocolate-covered coffee beans, old cedar bark, and dry orchard barks layered with soft winter spice barks and dark cherry.
Palate: That candied orange drives the palate with a sense of Luxardo cherries, old rickhouse dirt floors, and oak staves before rummy molasses and dark fruits — think dates, figs, and prunes — lead to a cedar tobacco vibe.
Finish: The end sweetens at first with a honeyed orange caramel before swinging back toward the coffee beans and cedar tobacco with a soft sense of old orchards in late fall.
Bottom Line:
This is an excellent sipper. It doesn’t even need a rock. You’re good to straight from the bottle.
Ranking:
91/100 — This is excellent Kentucky bourbon but not life-changing.
How To Get A Bottle:
The national sweepstakes for this year’s Birthday Bourbon runs from August 24th to August 31st this year. Winners will be notified on September 2nd, 2023. Bottles will be available for pick up until December 23rd, 2023 at the Old Forester Distillery.
Four Roses 2023 135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch Select
ABV: 54%
Average Price: $199 (Lottery Only)
The Whiskey:
This year’s Four Roses LE Small Batch is only 15,060 bottles. In those bottles, you’ll find a blend of 12, 14, 16, and 25-year-old barrels of whiskey. Those barrels are perfectly balanced to bring deep flavors to the batch before proofing and bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich winter spice cakes with roasted nuts, rum raisin, and soft vanilla oils vibe with old cedar kindling, hints of dill, and a faint touch of marshmallow that’s spent too much time in the fire.
Palate: The palate is all sticky toffee pudding and honey cake with a rush of red huckleberry and tart raspberry next to pear cider cut with clove, cinnamon, and allspice and a faint touch of brandied marzipan.
Finish: The finish turns into a luscious masterpiece of soft pear brandy-soaked marzipan with creamy dark chocolate and spiced Christmas nut cakes next to a soft chili tobacco dipped in molasses.
Bottom Line:
This is a delicious whiskey. It’s pretty much perfect right from the bottle or over a single rock.
Ranking:
91/100 — This is a great and quintessential sipper.
How To Get A Bottle:
You’ll have until August 28th, 2023 to enter the lottery to win the chance to buy a bottle. Winners will be announced on September 7th, 2023. Bottles will be available for pick up at Four Roses Distillery from September 15th to October 15th, 2023.