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Arkansas Barrel Heads Releases 131.1-Proof Old Forester Pick
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Last Updated on October 8, 2026 by Justin Jones
Arkansas Bourbon Release
The Old Forester Single Barrel Barrel Strength bourbon is the first of two barrels selected by Arkansas Barrel Heads and Purspirit during a February trip to Louisville.
131.1 Proof
65.55% ABV
Warehouse G
Floor 8
190 Bottles
Single-barrel release
The Arkansas Barrel Heads Old Forester release is officially underway through Purspirit Liquor. Bottled at 131.1 proof, the Old Forester Single Barrel Barrel Strength selection comes from Warehouse G, Floor 8, and was limited to 190 bottles at launch.
The Blue Label was the first arrival from a two-barrel Old Forester selection previously covered by ArkansasLiquor.com. The second barrel, an Old Forester Single Barrel Black Label bottled at 100 proof, followed on August 13 and sold out to ABH members in about two and a half minutes.
Updated October 8, 2026: This article now includes The Third Pour’s video review, two more member reviews and the release status of the companion Black Label barrel.
In This Story
Arkansas Barrel Heads Old Forester Release Details
The newly released bourbon carries the following specifications:
| Brand | Old Forester |
| Expression | Single Barrel Barrel Strength |
| Classification | Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky |
| Selected by | Arkansas Barrel Heads |
| Retail partner | Purspirit Liquor |
| Warehouse / Floor | Warehouse G / Floor 8 |
| Alcohol | 65.55% ABV |
| Proof | 131.1 |
| Release quantity | 190 bottles |
| Launch price | $89.06 per bottle after tax |
| Initial purchase limit | Two bottles per person during the first six hours |
Release and pickup information
Abe Wyly of Arkansas Barrel Heads announced the release to the group on Friday, July 31, at 7:01 p.m. Members claimed bottles by commenting “IN” with the quantity they wanted. Store pickup began Monday, August 3, at Purspirit in Fayetteville, where buyers paid in store. Arkansas Barrel Heads also brought reserved bottles to Central Arkansas for buyers who paid in advance.
Availability, purchase limits and pickup arrangements were accurate at launch and may change as bottles are claimed.
The Blue Label Barrel Selected in Louisville
This is the same barrel-strength selection first revealed in our February report, “Purspirit & Arkansas Barrel Heads Select Two Old Forester Barrels in Louisville.”
The group traveled to Louisville intending to select one Old Forester Single Barrel at 100 proof. After unanimously choosing that Black Label barrel, the selection team was offered an additional Old Forester barrel at full strength.
The second sample measured above 130 proof, yet its concentrated flavor and surprisingly controlled heat immediately caught the group’s attention. It was also selected unanimously, turning a planned one-barrel trip into a two-barrel collaboration.
The final bottling strength is now confirmed at 65.55% alcohol by volume, or 131.1 proof.
Why the 131.1-Proof Old Forester Stood Out
During the Louisville selection, the Blue Label sample was described as unusually approachable for a bourbon carrying such a high proof. Steve Crowe of Arkansas Barrel Heads reported sweetness, caramel, dark oak and layers of flavor, with relatively little heat at the beginning of the pour. Instead of overwhelming the palate immediately, the whiskey’s warmth reportedly developed gradually.
Sweetness
Caramel-forward depth
Oak
Dark and layered
Heat
Controlled for 131.1 proof
Old Forester Blue Label Reviews and Tasting Notes
The short version: five independent reviews describe the same bottle. The four Arkansas Barrel Heads members who posted notes all lead with cherry, and every reviewer, including the hosts of The Third Pour podcast, says the bourbon drinks well below its 131.1 proof.
Early Notes: Banana, Cherry and Restrained Heat
David Bohannan described recognizable Old Forester flavors of banana and cherry, along with minimal alcohol burn for a 131.1-proof whiskey. He characterized the selection as easier drinking than several other Old Forester Blue Label bottles he had tasted.
Those observations echoed the Louisville selection impressions: a powerful barrel-strength bourbon that carries its proof more comfortably than the number on the label might suggest.
Grant Black Gives the Old Forester Blue Label a 10/10
10/10
Grant Black’s rating
- Instant cherry bomb
- Faint grape jelly
- Dusty rickhouse character
- Less burn than expected
- Exceptionally long cherry finish
Black, an administrator with Arkansas Barrel Heads who was not part of the barrel-selection team, shared one of the most detailed early reviews of the group’s 131.1-proof Old Forester Blue Label release.
He described a fruit-forward bourbon built around cherry, subtle grape and dusty rickhouse notes, with considerably less alcohol burn than he normally associates with Old Forester Barrel Strength selections.
Blue Label:
Nose: instant cherry bomb. I got some very faint grape almost like grape jelly on the very end of the nose. The nose reminds me of a Stagg Jr. a lot with a little bit of dusty rickhouse!
Palate: Cherry Bomb all the way through this one start to finish! I’ve never had a blue label like this. This is way more fruit forward than any other blue label. Not near the burn as most blue labels. If I blinded this with a few different bottles and you told me to pick out the blue label, I don’t think I could!
Finish: The only part that really sticks to the normal blue label agenda is the finish! Finish is exactly what I want from a blue label. Looooooong! Just keeps going! The cherry never fades here! All the way to very end!
Summary: The nose on this bottle initially made me think it was going to be tough to beat… then the palate did not let me down at all. It lived up to the nose! But the finish on this whisky is what stuck out most to me. As I type this I’m finishing my second pour of it and the finish blows me away after every sip. It doesn’t seem to go away! I was not part of this pick but they knocked it absolutely out of the park with this one! And I’m hearing that the black label is even better!
10/10 from me ABH!
— Grant Black, Arkansas Barrel Heads
Black’s tasting notes reinforce two themes that have followed the release: an unusually prominent cherry profile and restrained alcohol heat for a bourbon bottled at 131.1 proof. His description of the exceptionally long finish also shows how the bourbon performs beyond the first impression.
Editor’s note: The accompanying Old Forester Black Label 100 Proof selection had not been released when Black shared this review on August 3. His comment about that barrel reflects what he had heard at the time. He later reviewed the Black Label and gave it a 10/10 as well. Tasting notes and ratings are subjective and are attributed to the individual reviewers.
More Member Reviews: Cherry, Strawberry and a Side-by-Side
Kc Collette posted a review on August 5. Collette found a fruit-forward, slightly dusty oak nose, heavy cherry through the front and middle of the palate, and a back end that recalled a dusty, caramel-covered strawberry. It was the first Old Forester bottle in Collette’s own collection, and the review said it drinks as smooth as Blanton’s despite the proof.
Weston Self poured it on August 15 next to another Blue Label single barrel, a Midway pick from Warehouse I, Floor 8. Self described the ABH barrel as “a cherry turnover in a glass” and said it does not drink its proof. The Midway bottle, about two proof points apart, tasted of cherry cola and carried the typical Blue Label heat on the finish. Self said the small gap in proof “feels like 20.”
The Third Pour Video Review: A Friday Night Pour
The whiskey podcast The Third Pour opened both ABH Old Forester picks in Episode 77, published September 11, 2026. Hosts The Doc and Izzy tasted the 131.1-proof Blue Label next to the 100-proof Black Label, and The Doc rated the Blue Label a “Friday Night Pour.”
The Doc came in skeptical. He said he had owned five or six Blue Label store picks over the years and got rid of all of them because he found them hot and aggressive. This barrel changed his mind. He called it a “flavor bomb,” said the warmth was barely there, and guessed he would have placed it at 110 to 115 proof if he had tasted it blind.
Izzy, who prefers higher proofs, agreed that it drinks far below 131.1 and said he could drink it every day. The Doc found more depth of flavor in the Blue Label than in the Black Label, though neither host would name a winner. Both bottles went onto the show’s best-of list for the year.
The Doc tied his rating to how often he would reach for the bottle. He said both picks had top-shelf quality, but that he expected to drink them too often for that tier. He settled on Friday Night Pour for the Blue Label because he rarely drinks at that proof.
Key moments in the episode:
- 4:21: The Doc explains why he usually avoids Blue Label picks
- 11:08: The hosts read the warehouse and floor details from both labels
- 16:40: The Doc’s first taste of the Blue Label
- 17:59: His blind-proof guess of 110 to 115
- 22:14: The ratings for both bottles
- 30:53: Both bottles go onto the show’s best-of list
The hosts’ verdict on the 100-proof bottle is covered in our Black Label article.
Two Old Forester Barrels, Both Now Released
The Louisville trip produced two distinct Old Forester Single Barrel selections. Both decisions were unanimous, and both barrels have now reached Arkansas. The 131.1-proof Blue Label Barrel Strength pick arrived first, on July 31. The 100-proof Black Label followed on August 13.
Released
Blue Label Barrel Strength
131.1 proof
Selected for concentrated flavor, fruit-forward character and unexpectedly manageable heat.
Released August 13
Black Label Single Barrel
100 proof
Selected for balance, structure and classic Old Forester character. Released to ABH members on August 13, when all 120 bottles were claimed in about two and a half minutes.
The Black Label’s release completed the two-barrel collaboration first reported by ArkansasLiquor.com in February. Read the full story in our Black Label release report, which includes member reviews and The Third Pour’s verdict on the 100-proof bottle.
The barrel once described as an unexpectedly approachable sample above 130 proof has officially arrived in Arkansas.
How the Two-Barrel Story Began
Go back to the Louisville selection room and read how a planned one-barrel pick became a two-barrel Old Forester collaboration.
Reporting note: This article draws on the February Louisville selection report, Purspirit’s release announcement, Arkansas Barrel Heads posts, attributed tasting notes from David Bohannan, Grant Black, Kc Collette and Weston Self, and Episode 77 of The Third Pour.
Please enjoy responsibly. Must be 21 or older to purchase alcohol.
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