Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Bourbon Whiskey
Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Bourbon Whiskey is a 750mL Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV), the first expression in Old Forester's Whiskey Row Series. It recreates George Garvin Brown's original 1870 batching process: barrels are selected from three warehouses — each from a different day of production, with a different entry proof and age profile — and batched together, then minimally filtered. The house mash bill is 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Mash bill: 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley
- Batching: Barrels from three warehouses, different production days, entry proofs and age profiles
- Filtration: Minimally filtered
- Origin: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Whiskey Row's Original Batching Process, Recreated
In 1870, George Garvin Brown created Old Forester on Louisville's famous Whiskey Row, batching barrels sourced from three distilleries to hold a consistent flavour — a radical idea in the era of single-barrel roulette. The 1870 Original Batch echoes that process with three warehouse selections of differing days, entry proofs and ages, married into one batch. It opened the Whiskey Row Series, the distillery's run of craft tributes to its own history. Explore the series on the Old Forester vendor page, or browse our spirits collection.
Tasting Notes
Per the distillery: an aroma of apple and mandarin with honey, clove, nutmeg and honeysuckle; a taste of crisp apple and citrus with shortbread sweetness, bright vanilla and subtle clove; a soft, silky finish of fruit and floral notes giving way to bright oak and sweet baking spice.
How to Enjoy
Neat or over a large cube, where the three-warehouse marriage shows its layers; a classic choice for a Whiskey Row-style Old Fashioned. More Kentucky bourbon is in our spirits collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What proof is Old Forester 1870 Original Batch?
90 proof (45% ABV) in the 750mL bottling.
How is Old Forester 1870 made?
Per the distillery, barrels from three warehouses — each from a different production day, entry proof and age profile — are batched together and minimally filtered, echoing George Garvin Brown's 1870 three-distillery batching.
Does Old Forester 1870 have an age statement?
No — it is a non-age-stated Kentucky straight bourbon; the component barrels carry different age profiles by design.
Batched the 1870 way — order Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Bourbon Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
