For 150 years, journalists at the Orlando Sentinel have been distilling Central Florida’s stories into the news readers consume. To mark the occasion, Forward/Slash Distillery & Blending House has done the same, in a way that whiskey lovers will appreciate.
When co-owners Michael Buffa and Tim Bradstreet were charged with helping create a spirit to mark the newspaper’s anniversary, they realized there were two important factors that needed to be present in the process. One was the Sentinel’s history. The other was its staffers.
As such, what you’ll taste in the bottle — slated for release and available for tasting and purchase starting May 7 — features deep, rich fruit notes imparted by two of the whiskeys in the blend, both of which were aged in ancient casks of Armagnac. This premium brandy, which hails from southwest France, is among the nation’s oldest spirits. Small batches in oak barrels create something rustic and fruity.
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Only 344 bottles were made. Slightly fewer will be available, priced at $115. Half-ounce pours will go for $7, 1 oz. pours for $11. It’s made to be sipped, say its makers, as it’s the best way to taste the rich history in the glass — history that the casks impart.
“The last time these were filled with whiskey was 1976, but back in the ’30s and ’40s, when the barrel was constructed for the sherry, they were made from 100-plus-year-old trees.” says Bradstreet. “Trees that were growing in France since roughly the time the Orlando Sentinel was forming.”
It was an important part of telling the story, says Buffa.
“The idea of using Armagnac to bring out those stone-fruit, figgy kinds of flavors was part of creating a whiskey that told the 150-year story. So were the Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, which bring a little sweetness and spiciness from the French oak.”
Bottles of Ol’ Watchdog, the Orlando Sentinel 150th Anniversary whiskey, blended by Forward/Slash Distillery at the Winter Park distillery, pictured on Friday, April 24, 2026. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
It’s an old world-tasting bourbon, he says. That’s also reflected in its name: Ol’ Watchdog.
“We asked our staff to come up with name suggestions, and there were some great ones,” says Roger Simmons, the Sentinel’s executive editor.
Simmons, who’s been with Tribune Co. since 1988 and came onboard at the Orlando Sentinel in 1993 as a sports editor, has been here for a significant portion of the paper’s run, working or supervising in every department in the newsroom during that time.
Forward/Slash Distillery owners Tim Bradstreet, left, and Michael Buffa crack a bottle of Ol’ Watchdog, the Orlando Sentinel 150th Anniversary whiskey, blended at their Winter Park distillery on Friday, April 24, 2026. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
“Photographer Stephen Dowell proposed ‘Watchdog,” which fit perfectly with our journalistic mission. We added the ‘Ol” part because it just sounded like the perfect name for a great whiskey.”
He and several other staffers had a hand in its selection, aiding in the tasting process as Bradstreet and Buffa narrowed down both elements of the blends and then the blends themselves. They had preferences, but allowed the group to discuss their findings without their input.
“The second tasting is really hard because they’re all so good at that point in the process, and we deliberated for over 20 minutes,” says Bradstreet. “We put out everything that we like.”
Bottles of Ol’ Watchdog, the Orlando Sentinel 150th Anniversary whiskey, blended by Forward/Slash Distillery. Its label was designed by Sentinel sfaffer Rich Pope. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel)
Sentinel staffers fortuitously chose the very one that the pros preferred.
“With a lot of the finished blends we do, there is so much nuance and richness and flavor that you get,” Bradstreet said. “I think this one drinks a lot older than it is. It’s a very, very unique profile from other things we’ve created and I enjoy it very much.”
Soon, you can, too.
On Thursday, the bottles will go on sale, with tastings available, at the distillery’s Winter Park tasting room (650 S. Capen Avenue in Winter Park; drinkforwardslash.com). Enjoy it before it’s gone.
amthompson@orlandosentinel.com