We Need To Talk About: Old Forester President's Choice Rye

Why aren't more people talking about this? One of the most underrated, allocated bourbon whiskeys on the market just got an even more limited rye variant, and you need to know!

This month, somewhere in the middle of June 2025, Old Forester quietly released the sister bottling to its iconic Old Forester President's Choice Single Barrel Bourbon. If you've ever had the privilege of trying this bourbon, then you'll know darn well that the new Old Forester President's Choice Single Barrel Rye is most probably the best new rye release of 2025. It's that simple.

The President's Choice collection launched in 1964, a time when securing an individual bottle wasn't that simple. In fact, securing a President's Choice bottling back then actually required the purchase of an entire barrel. Crazy right? Thankfully, times have changed. The President's Collection relaunched in 2018 and since then has only featured Single Barrel Bourbon releases. Until now...

The Old Forester President's Choice Rye Whiskey, a Distillery-only release, is a cask-strength NAS rye composed of 65% rye, 15% corn and 20% malted barley. Initial bottlings are believed to be a minimum of 7 years old and weigh in at 117.1-proof or upwards (58.55% ABV). While we haven't been lucky enough to get our hands on a bottle (yet), current sentiment suggests this exclusive, limited-edition rye whiskey is worth its $225 MSRP and then some.

An elevated, electrifying extension on the President's Choice and the classic Old Forester Rye, Old Forester President's Choice Rye Whiskey is shaping up to be an early contender for not only rye whiskey of the year but perhaps THE whiskey of the year.