Updated March 2026.
There is no official “best Old Forester.” Brown-Forman’s US product-info sheet prints Old Forester 86 Proof at 43% ABV and the 100 Proof signature bottle at 50%. A 1.5-ounce pour is 1.08 drinks at 43% and 1.25 at 50%. Whiskey Row 1910 is 46.5% (93 proof). 1920 Prohibition Style is 57.5% (115 proof). 1897 is bottled in bond at 50%. This is a line card, not a 2022 ranking and not a 2026 MSRP list.
Related: bonded bourbon, double-oaked bourbon, Jack proof.
What the US sheet prints
| SKU | US product-info | 1.5 oz drinks |
|---|---|---|
| 86 Proof | 43% Alc. by Vol. | 1.08 |
| 100 Proof | 50% | 1.25 |
| 1870 Original Batch | 45% | 1.13 |
| 1897 Bottled in Bond | 50%; BiB class | 1.25 |
| 1910 Old Fine Whisky | 46.5% | 1.16 |
| 1920 Prohibition Style | 57.5% | 1.44 |
A 750 mL 43% bottle is about 18 drinks; 57.5% is about 24. Four 1920 pours are about 5.8 drinks. 1924 10 Year and single-barrel SKUs exist — read those necks. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- legal.brown-forman.com Old Forester US product-info: 86 = 43%; 100 = 50%; 1870 = 45%; 1897 = 50%; 1910 = 46.5%; 1920 = 57.5%; rye 50%.
- oldforester.com/whiskies names the line. Proofs taken from the legal sheet, not the marketing tiles.
- TTB 27 CFR 5.143; 5.88. NIAAA December 2025.