Distilled By: Jim Beam Distillery
Location: Clermont, KY
Parent Company: Beam Suntory
Class: KY Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Age: 4 years
Mashbill: 63% Corn, 27% Rye, 10% Barley
Old Grand-Dad Bonded is made by Jim Beam from their high rye mash bill. It’s aged for at least 4 years and meets all of the legal requirements to be labeled as bottled in bond. If you’ve had the OGD 114 proof version and found it to be too hot, this could be a perfect compromise to keep the heat down and, yet, the flavor still be bold enough to keep it interesting. Most consumers should be able to find this bottle for under $25.
BSG REVIEW:
Color: Copper
Nose: Caramel, butterscotch, baking spices, oak
Palate: Caramel, oak, leather, mixed fruit
Finish: Long, caramel and baking spices
Old Grand-Dad Bonded started sweet on the nose with caramel and butterscotch sticking out before the baking spices and oak came through underneath. This bourbon tasted of caramel on the front end, but then transitioned to an oak and leathery mid-palate with a hint of mixed fruit to round it out with no one specific fruit flavor standing out. The finish was long and stayed on the caramel note, but the higher rye mash left the baking spices hanging around the longest as the mild Kentucky hug settled in for a while.
This is a solid choice for a daily sipper or even a cocktail if you so choose. I would say this bourbon would be a good candidate for an old fashioned on a hot summer day, but I was perfectly happy sipping it neat in a leather wingback with something to read on this cool Fall evening.
BSG Score: 86/100
