Old Grand Dad 114

• DISTILLERY – Jim Bean
• REGION – Clermont, KY
• AGE – NAS
• STRENGTH – 57% (114 Proof)
• MASH BILL – 63% Corn, 27% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
• MSRP – $29 – 32

Glance

Has a nice deep honey look with medium viscosity.

Nose

The nose was an enjoyable one. It has nice sweetness to it with baking spices, dark/bitter cocoa chocolate, nuttiness, oak and a pepper spice undertone. The prominent smells were the baking spices, nuttiness and very dark chocolate.

Taste

On the palate I got some of the sweetness I was smelling like, vanilla, bitter chocolate and spiciness and nuttiness throughout. The spiciness towards the end turned to mild bitterness before entering the finish. I felt that the rye overpowered the taste at times but again at the same time offering that nice pepper crackling tongue feel.

Finish

I didn’t particularly enjoy the finish. It was somewhat long with a lot of spiciness and cinnamon. It felt rough to me in its formation. Initially it seemed it might develop into something more but just leaves you with a dry spicy heat which lingers for a bit. Definitely gives you the proofy punch for sure!

Closing Remarks

As rye heavy bourbons become more popular, this is definitely a serious contender especially considering the price point its at. Its a stiff drink and it lets you know more than the bottle does, that its at 114 proof. After tasting Elijah Craig Barrel Proofs or Old Forester 1920 which are high proof (Old Forester being at 115, the closest here to Old Grand Dad), they drink way below there proof. Old Grand Dad 114 is not a bourbon that a person who is new to whiskey/bourbon should get into. It’s a full bodied drink that can really catch you off guard, sort of like taming a wild horse. Having said that, compared to other bourbons on the market which are $10-20 more offer a better well-balanced experience. Throughout my tasting with Old Grand Dad, there was an imbalance of flavors. At times it felt it was developing into something, but the hot spiciness from the rye would just mute any development. Overall at below $30 and at 114 proof, this is definitely a buy. Its a fun challenge to get your mind around this flavor profile.