Old Forester 117 Series High Angels Share Batch 001 Straight Rye Whisky 375ml

Old Forester 117 Series High Angels' Share Batch 001 Kentucky Straight Rye Whisky arrives at a well-balanced 110 proof (55% ABV) in a 375ml bottle, a highly concentrated and historic milestone marking the very first rye expression introduced to Old Forester's limited 117 Series from Louisville, Kentucky. Released in March 2026 by Brown-Forman's founding brand - America's first bottled bourbon, sealed and signed by George Garvin Brown in 1870 - High Angels' Share Rye marks a dedicated study in advanced atmospheric evaporation. This specialized batch draws entirely from a low-yield selection of barrels where intense environmental forces caused an unusually high loss of liquid to the atmosphere, concentrating the remaining whiskey to an unprecedented degree inside the aging warehouses on Louisville's historic Main Street at DSP-KY-354.

The name describes the natural phenomenon of evaporative loss during heat-cycled maturation rather than an engineered finishing process. To bring this unique profile to light, the distillery team isolated the specific casks where the angels took far more than their traditional portion, resulting in a rich density of flavor that cannot be replicated through standard aging. This dramatic reduction in volume yields a massive concentration of wood sugars and native rye compounds, and Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo describes the result as an unencumbered look at the maturation process, delivering a straight rye whisky of immense structural depth, complex herbal definition, and robust oak integration born of the distillery's standard 65% rye, 20% malted barley, and 15% corn mash bill.

In the glass, the official tasting notes open with rich aromas of sweet tart apple, fresh pineapple, and dark citrus oil over prominent undertones of nutmeg, sugared eucalyptus, and deep barrel char. A thick and heavily texturized layer of dark brown sugar, light kettle corn sweetness, and toasted oak coats the palate while a complex mid-palate of fig, raisin, and mocha coffee adds sophisticated texture, and the finish leads with an extensive wave of roaring rye spice, dry grass, and black pepper. High Angels' Share Rye joins a 117 Series lineup - named for the brand's original address at 117 W. Main St. and launched in 2021 - that includes 1910 Extra Extra Old, Whiskey Row Fire, and Warehouse H.

For collectors, Batch 001 carries weight beyond the liquid. The 117 Series is Old Forester's experimental canvas, bottled in the distinctive 375ml format and released in limited quantities through the Old Forester Distillery and select Kentucky retailers, which keeps every batch scarce beyond the Bluegrass State. As the historic inaugural straight rye whiskey release within a portfolio traditionally dominated by bourbon, High Angels' Share Rye Batch 001 stands as a monumental chapter in Old Forester's modern history and a natural cornerstone for any serious American whiskey collection.

• Size: 375ml
• Proof: 110 (55% ABV)
• Age: No age statement
• Origin: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
• Distillery: Old Forester Distillery (Brown-Forman), DSP-KY-354
• Whisky Type: Kentucky Straight Rye Whisky
• Series: The 117 Series (launched 2021)
• Batch: 001
• Barrel/Char Treatment: Drawn from low-yield, highly evaporated barrels harvested from heat-cycled rickhouses
• Curator/Master Distiller: Caleb Trigo, Assistant Master Distiller
• Tasting Notes: Nose: tart apple, pineapple, orange citrus oil, nutmeg, sugared eucalyptus, barrel char; Palate: dark brown sugar, kettle corn, toasted oak, fig, raisin, mocha coffee; Finish: roaring rye spice, dry mowed grass, black pepper