Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon Whiskey 750ml

Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon comes from Old Forester's distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, part of Brown-Forman and one of the oldest continuously produced bourbon brands in the country. The expression is the third release in the Whiskey Row Series and commemorates a pivotal chapter in the company's history: when the Volstead Act took effect in January 1920, only six Kentucky distilleries received federal permits to keep bottling whiskey for medicinal purposes, and Brown-Forman was among them, securing Permit KY-3 and ensuring Old Forester survived Prohibition intact.

This bourbon uses the same mash bill found across the Old Forester line, roughly 72 percent corn, 18 percent rye, and 10 percent malted barley, and matures for a minimum of four years in new charred oak. Its defining feature is proof rather than age: the whiskey is bottled at a hefty 115 proof, a figure meant to echo the strength historians believe company president Owsley Brown I would have found in barrels laid down at the start of Prohibition, once natural evaporation is factored in.

On the nose, dark fruit, burnt brown sugar, and chocolate mingle with hints of banana and a touch of ethanol heat. The palate turns big and rich, with barrel char and dark chocolate balanced against caramel and creme brulee sweetness, a nutty undertone, and a whisper of coffee. The finish opens with allspice and black pepper before settling into a long close of dark chocolate, char, and warm nuttiness.