Old Forester Birthday Bourbon Lights Another Candle

Once again, I find myself in an enviable position — seated before a flight of tiny cups that any whiskey lover would cherish. In fact, these are not just 16 delicious whiskies, but also liquid chronicles of 16 memorable days at the Old Forester distillery. Here sits the day in 2002 when a thunderstorm soaked the barrels before filling, helping to slow the initial angel’s share evaporation from within; the incident in 2005 when a different malted barley supplier had to be called to fill in; the day a errant squirrel knocked out the power.

The annual release of Old...