A Break Even Bottle, an Unexpected Pour, and One Very Rare Rye
Some whiskey pours are planned months in advance. Others just happen because it’s Thursday.
My friend Ian from Smokin’ N’ Toastin’ and I made our way over to Houston’s Trash Panda Drinking Club for one of my favorite weekly traditions: their Break Even bottle.
If you’ve never heard of a Break Even pour, it’s one of those ideas that reminds you why neighborhood bars matter. Every week, Trash Panda opens a rare, allocated, or otherwise hard-to-find bottle, whether it’s whiskey, tequila, rum, or another spirit, and sells one-ounce pours at essentially their cost. The only catch? Order at least one food item with your pour. Honestly, that’s hardly a catch when you’re already sitting in a place known for turning out excellent food until late into the night.
This particular Thursday featured something I wasn’t about to pass up: the 2026 Old Forester President’s Choice Rye.
For $8.80, we each got a one-ounce pour of a bottle that normally lives behind glass cabinets, collectors’ shelves, or on the secondary market for $450 or more. Moments like that are exactly why I keep coming back.
Trash Panda isn’t trying to be a polished whiskey lounge, and that’s part of its charm. It’s the kind of grungy neighborhood bar where you can walk in wearing whatever you have on, grab a legitimately great burger or tacos, order a well-made cocktail, and then notice that the back bar quietly houses an impressive whiskey and agave selection, all without making your wallet regret the visit. It’s unpretentious in the best possible way, and that’s what makes stumbling across pours like this feel even more special.
Meet the Bottle
Before getting into the pour itself, it’s worth talking about why this bottle generated so much excitement.
Old Forester’s President’s Choice program isn’t just another annual limited release. It’s a showcase of some of the distillery’s finest single barrels.
The label itself traces its roots back to 1964, when then-president George Garvin Brown II personally selected exceptional barrels to share with friends and special guests of the distillery. That tradition was revived decades later, and today every President’s Choice barrel is hand-selected because it stands out on its own.
Unlike many limited releases that are blended to achieve consistency, every bottle of President’s Choice comes from a single barrel, meaning no two releases are exactly alike. The rye uses Old Forester’s signature mash bill of 65% rye, 20% malted barley, and 15% corn, and each barrel is bottled at its natural proof without dilution.
The bottle we enjoyed that night had spent an impressive 117 months (9 years and 9 months) in the barrel before being bottled, giving it nearly a decade to develop its character while still preserving the individuality that makes single barrels so much fun to explore. Every President’s Choice barrel is its own whiskey, and that’s part of what makes opening one such a special experience.
With an MSRP around $225 and very limited production, these bottles rarely stay on shelves for long and often end up commanding significantly higher prices on the secondary market.
Which brings us back to why an $8.80 pour at Trash Panda felt like such a steal.
So… Was It Worth the Hype?
I’d say it was a solid pour, but maybe not for the reason you’d expect.
The first thing that grabbed both Ian and me was the nose. Before the whiskey even touched the palate, it was already making a strong impression. Rich, expressive, and layered, it invited you to keep going back for another smell.
Once we took that first sip, we both landed in a similar place. The palate didn’t quite live up to what the nose promised, but it was still a very enjoyable rye overall.
What surprised me most was the fruit profile. Rather than leaning heavily into the bold baking spices and black pepper that many people associate with rye whiskey, this pour showcased a noticeable dried fruit character that leaned more toward raisins, accompanied by subtle notes of cherry. It gave the whiskey a rounder, softer personality than I expected.
If I had one critique, it would be the finish. It wasn’t disappointing, but after such an expressive nose, I found myself wishing it lingered just a little longer.
Ian and I both walked away with a similar impression: a really solid rye that started stronger than it finished.
More Than What’s in the Glass
But here’s the thing. Sometimes the whiskey isn’t the whole story.
We were sitting in one of our favorite neighborhood bars, sharing a pour that most people will probably never get the chance to try. We split one of Trash Panda’s loaded quesadillas along with an order of wings, taking our time between bites and sips while the bar settled into that perfect Thursday-night rhythm. There were enough people to give the place some energy, but it never felt crowded or loud. Just good food, good conversation, and a bottle we’d been looking forward to trying.
Looking back, that’s probably what I remember most.
The 2026 Old Forester President’s Choice Rye may not be the best rye I’ve ever had, but it didn’t need to be. It was a genuinely enjoyable pour made even better by the company, the atmosphere, and a neighborhood bar willing to give people the chance to experience a bottle like this without spending hundreds of dollars.
Sometimes that’s what makes a pour memorable.
Last Call
Not every allocated bottle has to become a unicorn on your shelf. Sometimes, all it takes is one ounce, a plate of wings, good company, and a neighborhood bar willing to crack the bottle open.
Those are the pours that stay with you.
