Old Forester Barrel Strength Pick Announced by BCA & Ace Liquor Center

Last Updated on December 7, 2024 by 5e2793

PUBLISH DATE: November 26, 2024

The Bourbon Club of Arkansas (BCA) has officially announced the release details for its latest Old Forester Barrel Strength single barrel, acquired through Ace Liquor Center. This release continues a strong and well-established partnership that has previously delivered some of the club’s most celebrated Old Forester selections.

Old Forester Barrel Strength picks are especially anticipated within Arkansas bourbon circles, known for delivering bold, unfiltered expressions that highlight both warehouse placement and barrel individuality. This latest selection adds to an already respected lineup of prior BCA and Ace Liquor Old Forester releases.

Official Announcement (Source)

Gary Penna — November 26, 2024 (Facebook)
“This is the IN post for the Old Forester.
Warehouse I as in India Floor 7
Barrel #9313
ABV 65.0 // 130 proof
Price w/tax 84.36
160 bottles total.
No limit until they run out!
This will be picked up at Ace in Cabot”

Old Forester Barrel Strength — Barrel Details

• Expression: Old Forester Barrel Strength
• Warehouse: I (India)
• Floor: 7
• Barrel Number: 9313
• Proof: 130 (65.0% ABV)
• Total Bottles: 160
• Price (with tax): $84.36
• Pickup Location: Ace Liquor Center – Cabot, Arkansas
• Bottle Limits: None (until sold out)

Background: Old Forester Bourbon

Old Forester occupies a singular place in American whiskey history. First introduced in 1870, Old Forester is widely recognized as America’s first bottled bourbon, created to guarantee consistent quality at a time when most whiskey was sold directly from barrels with little regulation.

Produced by Brown-Forman, Old Forester is the only bourbon brand continuously produced by the same company before, during, and after Prohibition. Distillation, maturation, and bottling take place in Louisville, Kentucky, including operations along historic Whiskey Row.

Old Forester Barrel Strength releases are bottled straight from the barrel, without chill filtration or proof reduction. This approach allows each barrel to fully express its character, often revealing pronounced oak influence, rich sweetness, and intense spice shaped by warehouse location and barrel elevation.

Warehouse I selections, particularly those from higher floors, are frequently noted for increased concentration, depth, and robust proof-driven structure—qualities that have made prior BCA Old Forester picks highly sought after.

Release Notes

This Old Forester Barrel Strength pick represents another high-proof, limited single-barrel offering for Arkansas bourbon enthusiasts. With no bottle limit and a finite yield of just 160 bottles, availability is expected to be competitive once sales begin at Ace Liquor Center in Cabot.

Additional information regarding pickup timing and on-sale logistics will be communicated directly through official BCA and Ace Liquor Center channels.

Update on the Old Forester Barrel (Quoted Source)

Gary Penna
December 7, 2024
Source: Facebook

“Update on the Old Forester barrel:

Those who follow our group closely and watched the video know what happened, I tried to negotiate a better price for our members so they had a chance to purchase it at our original Ace price, however Colonial was not interested in adjusting their price to accommodate, as is their choice!

However, considering the community is pretty tight and word travels pretty quickly I was hoping they would make a decision that would help benefit everyone, rather than trying to make a quick buck. Therefore it is 100% up to you the members if you want to purchase said bottle, however I do not agree that an OFBS should be priced that high.

Do I think this specific bottle is worth that price? Yes, however, on principle alone I cannot ask anyone else to pay that. I have purchased two bottles, one so I can taste it to confirm and one so I could keep since technically we picked it.

The store manager is a good friend of mine and a very reasonable person however, under the new ownership, things change quickly and said manager is under different marching orders. So I bear zero ill will against him. He has always taken good care of me and is a solid dude!

Had we caught this earlier we might’ve been able to change labels and make the switch however, as it is in the past, we’re going to move forward and looking forward to our next picks!!

Thank you very much for your patience and understanding. I’m going to go ahead and shut down the original Old Forester ‘IN’ post as it is no longer a valid post.

Cheers and happy Saturday!!

IYKYK.
If you know, you know. This Old Forester Barrel Strength pick was originally intended for pickup at Ace Liquor Center. Due to a distribution error at the distillery level, the barrel was delivered elsewhere and ultimately released under different circumstances than planned. Those details are well understood within the community.