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\u2019s made to be sipped, say its makers, as it\u2019s the best way to taste the rich history in the glass \u2014 history that the casks impart.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last time these were filled with whiskey was 1976, but back in the \u201930s and \u201940s, when the barrel was constructed for the sherry, they were made from 100-plus-year-old trees.\u201d says Bradstreet. \u201cTrees that were growing in France since roughly the time the Orlando Sentinel was forming.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was an important part of telling the story, says Buffa.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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 Xim\u00e9nez sherry casks, which bring a little sweetness and spiciness from the French oak.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Bottles](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/TOS-L-sentinel-150th-whiskey-5.jpg\")
Bottles of Ol\u2019 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)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an old world-tasting bourbon, he says. That\u2019s also reflected in its name: Ol\u2019 Watchdog.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe asked our staff to come up with name suggestions, and there were some great ones,\u201d says Roger Simmons, the Sentinel\u2019s executive editor.<\/p>\n
Simmons, who\u2019s 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\u2019s run, working or supervising in every department in the newsroom during that time.<\/p>\n
![\"Forward\/Slash](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/TOS-L-sentinel-150th-whiskey-3.jpg\")
Forward\/Slash Distillery owners Tim Bradstreet, left, and Michael Buffa crack a bottle of Ol\u2019 Watchdog, the Orlando Sentinel 150th Anniversary whiskey, blended at their Winter Park distillery on Friday, April 24, 2026. (Rich Pope\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n
\u201cPhotographer Stephen Dowell proposed \u2018Watchdog,\u201d which fit perfectly with our journalistic mission. We added the \u2018Ol\u201d part because it just sounded like the perfect name for a great whiskey.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe second tasting is really hard because they\u2019re all so good at that point in the process, and we deliberated for over 20 minutes,\u201d says Bradstreet. \u201cWe put out everything that we like.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Bottles](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/TOS-L-sentinel-150th-whiskey-7.jpg\")
Bottles of Ol\u2019 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)<\/p>\n
Sentinel staffers fortuitously chose the very one that the pros preferred.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith a lot of the finished blends we do, there is so much nuance and richness and flavor that you get,\u201d Bradstreet said. \u201cI think this one drinks a lot older than it is. It\u2019s a very, very unique profile from other things we\u2019ve created and I enjoy it very much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Soon, you can, too.<\/p>\n