Old Forester’s President’s Choice Bottling Is Rolling Out Nationwide

One of the bourbon world’s most coveted, Kentucky-only releases is finally going nationwide. At the same time, the rare single-barrel lineup is also expanding into rye.

Old Forester President’s Choice is among the most sought-after bottles in all of Kentucky bourbon. Today, this expression is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the Old Forester brand. It pays homage to private single barrels first sold in 1964, hand-selected by former brand president George Garvin Brown II through single-barrel bottlings. In 2018, Old Forester relaunched President’s Choice as a Kentucky-only series of single barrels, painstakingly selected from among thousands of casks in Brown Forman’s famed brick warehouses.

That initial launch coincided with the opening of Old Forester Distillery on Louisville’s Whiskey Row, and since that time, fewer than 100 total barrels have been released. All contemporary iterations have been bottled between 7 and 12 years old. President’s Choice quickly became a fan favorite, with the bottles praised for their overall high quality and intricate flavor variations from one barrel to the next. Depending on the age, proof, and flavor, some bottles have commanded prices exceeding $1,000 on resale and secondary markets. 

Bottles were once available only at the Old Forester Distillery and through very rare online drops, which, due to shipping restrictions, were limited to customers in Kentucky, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Washington, D.C. 

Beginning in June 2025, President’s Choice will transition from being Kentucky-only to nationwide distribution, although the exact quantities are expected to remain quite small. Additionally, Old Forester plans to release a limited number of bottles for online sale starting Saturday, June 14.

As per usual, those will only be available to customers in select states and territories. The timing of the online sale coincides with the celebration of National Bourbon Day and the 7th anniversary of the Whiskey Row distillery.

In addition to the nationwide rollout of President’s Choice Bourbon, the brand is also expanding its offerings with the launch of President’s Choice Rye. According to the brand, moving forward, all President’s Choice barrels will be selected from between seven and nine years old.

“President’s Choice has always been an incredibly rare and cherished bottle, and most consumers have never seen it, let alone tasted the whisky,” says Old Forester master taster Melissa Rift, in a company press release. “We are honored to bring it to a wider audience.”

Rift and assistant master distiller Caleb Trigo personally select each barrel that goes into a President’s Choice bottle, with a bias toward distince flavor profiles. The duo also determines the ABV of each bottling, which is usually between 110 and 125 proof.

“Every barrel selected for President’s Choice tells a story,” says Trigo. “These are the barrels that showcase an extraordinary depth of character. Whether it’s the bourbon or our new rye, each bottle represents the pinnacle of Old Forester’s craftsmanship.”