Another cracking barrel of Old Forester Cask Strength has arrived. For those who love the bold, spicy style these impressive barrels deliver, this special selection offers something truly distinctive. Unlike many bourbon producers where we chase high floors for their intense environmental swings, the Old Forester warehouses outside Louisville are built from thick brick and concrete. Each floor is fully enclosed, allowing heat to build within the structure during the summer while winter air keeps the masonry walls cold for months. To keep the whiskey moving through the wood, Old Forester pumps steam heat into the warehouses at the first sign of cold and maintains the heat cycling until spring arrives. The result is a barrel that, even in a relatively short period of time, experiences temperature fluctuations four to five times greater than a typical warehouse. This particular barrel was filled on July 6th, 2021 and matured on the first floor of the venerable Warehouse K, built in 1953 and home to some of the finest stocks in Old Forester’s inventory. Barrels from this building often show a beautiful balance between dense fruit and the distillery’s signature spicy rye character. Bottled exclusively for K&L Wine Merchants in early 2026 at a full cask strength of 129.7 proof, this barrel was offered without chill filtration or additives of any kind. A brilliant example of just how compelling Old Forester can be when the right barrel is chosen from their remarkable warehouses.