Old Forester Birthday Bourbon - 2004 Release

Distilled 1995. Released September 2nd, 2004. A 12-year small-batch selection from the Birthday Bourbon series' early founding era — over 20 years out of primary distribution.

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is released once a year on September 2nd — the birthday of George Garvin Brown, who founded Old Forester in 1870 as America's first commercially bottled bourbon. Each edition is a unique small-batch of 12-year-old barrels chosen by the master distiller, making each vintage unrepeatable.

The 2004 is notable for its documented distillation year of 1995 — one of the few early Birthday Bourbon vintages with confirmed provenance for the specific spirit inside. At over 20 years out of primary distribution, the 2004 is among the rarest surviving Birthday Bourbon vintages. For collectors building a complete series, this represents one of the hardest early-decade editions to source.

Specs

• Distillery: Old Forester Distilling Co., Louisville, Kentucky (est. 1870)
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Age: 12 years
• Distilled: 1995
• Release: September 2nd, 2004 — Annual Birthday Bourbon
• Size: 750ml

Browse the full Old Forester collection or explore all bourbon at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why is the distillation year of 1995 significant? Birthday Bourbon is assembled from 12-year-old barrels, meaning the 2004 release contains spirit distilled in 1995 and 1992 (for the 12-year component). Knowing the distillation year provides provenance transparency that most bourbon releases don't offer — the 2004 contains documented mid-90s Brown-Forman production.
• How rare are early Birthday Bourbon vintages? The series began in the early 2000s before premium bourbon collecting reached its modern scale. Production was smaller, many bottles were consumed rather than saved, and 20+ years of attrition have reduced surviving stocks dramatically. The 2003–2006 vintages are consistently the hardest to source in the entire series.
• What is the Birthday Bourbon series? Released annually on September 2nd — founder George Garvin Brown's birthday — each edition is a unique small-batch of 12-year-old barrels. No two vintages share the same barrel selection or proof.
• Is this a good collector's bottle? Yes — documented early-series vintages from a historically significant American bourbon brand with confirmed distillation year provenance are consistently among the most valued Birthday Bourbon editions.