On the heels of a recent Buffalo Trace barrel pick, I found myself back on the Bourbon Trail—this time in Louisville, Kentucky, for a private barrel selection at Old Forester. I joined my friend Mason, owner of Mirage Liquors in Palm Springs, California, for the experience. Stepping into Old Forester Distilling Co. isn’t just about choosing liquid for a bottle; it’s an immersive walk through the foundational history of American whiskey.

The Legacy of “America’s First Bottled Bourbon”

To appreciate pulling a sample from a barrel at Old Forester, you have to understand its history. In 1870, pharmaceutical salesman George Garvin Brown (founder of Brown-Forman) revolutionized the spirits industry. At a time when bourbon was drawn from rectifiers’ barrels into whatever container a buyer brought to the saloon, often leading to watered down or adulterated product, Brown took a radical stand for quality. He became the first to batch, seal, and sign his name to bourbon in glass bottles as an explicit guarantee of quality.

That heritage is woven into every brick of the Main Street facility. Old Forester is notably the only bourbon continuously produced and marketed by its founding family before, during, and after Prohibition, thanks to a federal medicinal license secured in the 1920s.

From Grain to Cooperage

The selection experience begins with a deep dive into the operations of this working urban distillery. Walking through the production floor gives you an up-close look at their massive 44-foot copper column still and open fermentation tanks.

What truly sets Old Forester apart, however, is their fully operating on-site cooperage. Watching coopers raise and char barrels over open gas flames reveals the origin of those signature heavy caramel and toasted oak notes that define their classic mash bill (72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley). Mason was even invited to personally char a barrel.

Following the production path leads into the heat cycled rickhouse, where temperatures are intentionally manipulated to force the whiskey deep into the charred wood pores, accelerating the extraction of deep color, vanilla, and dark fruit esters.

Hand Selecting for Mirage Liquors

The tour culminates in the single barrel selection room. Our tasting panel included Mason, Rodney from the Coachella Bourbon Boys, Roman from Gate City Distribution, who arranged the trip and treated us to an incredible dinner at Repeal Steakhouse the night before, and me.

Comparing three distinct single barrels pulled from different warehouse microclimates offers a masterclass in oak, age, and proof. Like a fingerprint, every barrel is unique: while one skewed heavily toward baking spices and butterscotch, another brought forward rich vanilla, dark cherry, and robust toasted oak. After detailed nose-to-glass comparisons, one barrel clearly rose above the rest. Our four palates were unanimous.

Bringing Whiskey Row to the Desert

Keep an eye on the shelves at Mirage Liquors in Palm Springs. This custom barrel-strength pick arrives in November, bringing a piece of Whiskey Row history straight to the desert floor. Clocking in at a bold 130 proof, it packs a serious punch while drinking remarkably smooth for its strength. It is fantastic.

This has been an unforgettable year on the trail. Between picks at Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, 1792, Old Forester, and Castle & Key, 2026 will be a tough year to top.