🥃 Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
The third version of the Whiskey Row series: a bourbon in the style of the Prohibition era, 57.5% ABV (115 proof).
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style is the third version of the Whiskey Row series of the Old Forester brand. It recalls Prohibition in the USA, when the brand held a permit to sell whiskey for medicinal use. The strength is 115 proof, which is 57.5% ABV, the highest of the brand's permanent versions. No age is stated.
The producer explains the idea this way. In those years whiskey was filled into barrels at 100 proof, and as it matured part of the water evaporated, so the strength rose to about 115 proof. This is the strength this version recreates. According to The Whiskey Wash, it was meant to show what the company president Owsley Brown I could have blended at the start of Prohibition. The debut was in 2016.
Why this matters to you. Because of its high strength, the taste is denser than in Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond or Old Forester 100 Proof. A few drops of water soften it. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 57.5% ABV (115 proof) |
|---|---|
| Cask type | new charred oak barrels |
| Minimum maturation | no age statement; straight bourbon from 2 years |
| Year founded | 2016 (Whiskey Row series) |
| EU category | 2 - whisky/whiskey, for the EU market |
| Legal basis | 27 CFR § 5.143 (USA): bourbon - at least 51% corn, new charred oak barrels; straight - at least 2 years |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Barrel toasting
- Made from
- 🥃 Rye and corn in whisky
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Old Forester, 🥃 Bourbon whiskey, 🥃 Straight bourbon whiskey
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond, 🥃 Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond, 🥃 Old Forester 86 Proof, 🥃 Old Forester 86 Proof
- In other topics
- 🍷 Prohibition in the United States
Frequently asked questions
Was 1920 Prohibition Style produced during Prohibition?
No. It is a modern 2016 version that recreates the style of that era, when the brand had permission to sell whiskey as medicine.
What is the strength of Old Forester 1920?
115 proof, which is 57.5% ABV.
Why exactly 115 proof?
According to the producer, whiskey was then filled at 100 proof, and evaporation raised the strength to about 115.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Rye and corn in whisky — Grain in the name of American whiskey: bourbon is at least 51% corn, rye at least 51% rye, corn whiskey at least 80% corn.
- 🍷 Barrel toasting — Heating the inside of a barrel over fire; the degree of toast shapes the wine's taste.
- 🍷 Prohibition in the United States — From 1920 to 1933 the making and sale of alcohol were banned in the US; wine for religious rites was one of the few exceptions.
- 🥃 Old Forester 86 Proof — The flagship Old Forester: a Kentucky straight bourbon at 43% ABV (86 proof), with no age statement.
Similar
🥃 Old Forester 1870 Original Batch · 🥃 Old Forester 100 Proof · 🥃 Old Forester 86 Proof · 🥃 Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond · 🥃 Old Forester Rye · 🥃 Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Old Forester (official): 1920 Prohibition Style — 115 proof; 100 barrel entry proof; medicinal whiskey permit during Prohibition
- The Whiskey Wash: Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon a Nod to Nation's Dry Period (22.08.2016; 115 proof; third release of the Whiskey Row Series)
- 27 CFR § 5.143 Standards of identity for whisky (bourbon/rye: min. 51 % corn/rye, new charred oak containers; straight: min. 2 years), text via Cornell LII
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)