One Time Bottling: A Bourbon Find
Old Grand-Dad 16 Year Old Kentucky Straight
Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($199.99)
”It’s wild character and unique profile make it an interesting bottle for any whiskey lover.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer
This high-rye homage is a one-time bottling from the folks at Jim Beam. Inspired by the original whiskey first bottled in 1882, this limited-release expression from the iconic Old Grand-Dad brand is one we’re thrilled to promote. The unforgettable name comes from Basil Hayden’s grandson, who named this high-rye bourbon in honor of his own grandfather—revered for pioneering the bold, spicy mash bill that continues to define Old Grand-Dad today. This limited-release collectible is a great addition to your bar and a delight in your glass.
Old Grand-Dad 16 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($199.99)
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: January 05, 2025
The bourbon world seems to have a love hate relationship with the OGD brand. The fabulous high rye bourbon was sold to Fortune Brands in 1987 which eventually became modern day Jim Beam. The National Distillers apparatus formed out of the American Medicinal Distillers Spirits Corp, but the Hayden family had been renowned distillers in KY as far back as the late 1700s when Meredith Basil Hayden Sr, when he led a party of settlers to Bardstown in 1785. At the time of the sale, National Distillers controlled over 200 brands including Old Crow, Old Taylor, and Old Overholt. It had plants in Frankfort, Louisville, and Cincinnati. Today, Jim Beam’s highest rye bourbon (63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malt) is produced at the Clermont distillery outside of Bardstown, but the company has taken strides to ensure the character and quality remain the same. They’ve retained the old yeast, they distill and fill barrels at lower proof than standard Beam mashbills and they bottle the core expression in bond. That said, they haven’t done much with any of “the Olds” aside from selling Old Taylor to Sazerac Co. Instead focusing on their own creation, Basil Hayden Bourbon. Yet by many consumers palates, the OGD 114 famously remains one of the best values in bourbon today. That all changed in the last couple of years, when rumors began to swirl about new expressions and a new interest in the brands from Suntory’s Global Marketing team. First we got the 10 year Overholt and now this product, a very old expression of the high rye mashbill bottled at 100 proof. It’s an exciting development for the brand, which I hope will mean future expansion of its offerings, but let’s give it a go.
The color is a deep tawny (1.4). The nose is an immediate hit of dense baking spice -clove and nutmeg- followed by Seville orange peel and dense old oak. It’s clear that the high rye bourbon can stand up to the wood this long, as the spice holds up to the tannins. With air, we get more chocolate, some vanilla and hints of caramel candies. It’s not a big sweet nutty guy you might expect from Beam. In fact, it’s some of the least Beam like Beam that’s come across my desk. The palate is a completely unusual and intriguing thing. Big old wood notes, give it a very antique vibe -herbal, dusty, grassy, complex and out of the norm. As it aerates, the varnish-y old school vibe relents somewhat offering dried stone fruit, hints of cacao, underbrush and muscovado sugar. The finish is medium with the spice dominating as it closes. It’s a real roller coasted and a beautiful addition to the Beam pantheon, although it seems unlikely that they’ll be able to release this on a regular basis considering how little production is dedicated to this mashbill. My only complaint would be would have loved to see it at 114 proof, simply for continuities sake and perhaps that would add some texture to the finish, but it’s still exciting to see where this famous whiskey goes after so many years in barrel. This is one that might really speak to the geeks, but it’s wild character and unique profile make it an interesting bottle for any whiskey lover.
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