When the product was introduced in 1870, George Garvin Brown became sole owner by 1902, To produce his Old Forester product, Brown would initially purchase whiskies from distillers such as
John McDougal Atherton and Ben Mattingly, and blend them together. In 1902, he then purchased Mattingly's distillery in the town of Saint Mary in
Marion County, Kentucky. Until
Prohibition in the United States began in 1920, Old Forester was the leading brand produced by Brown's company. Since then, other brands were acquired by the company, such as
Early Times (purchased in 1923, which became America's best-selling bourbon and maintained high sales for 30 years), and
Jack Daniel's (purchased in 1956 and as of 2007 the best-selling whiskey of any kind in the world), have become its leading products. The winners are chosen on September 2, to commemorate the day of Brown's birth. In August 2016, Old Forester announced the release of its 115-proof "1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon". In 2021, the company announced its latest expression, known as the 117 Series, or the "High Angels' Share". ==Products==