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Old Grand Dad 100 Proof Bonded

Three S&M Bourbons - Part II

0 681

@talexanderReview by @talexander

13th Feb 2018

1

Old Grand Dad 100 Proof Bonded
  • Nose
    19
  • Taste
    21
  • Finish
    21
  • Balance
    20
  • Overall
    81

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

Like the last bourbon I just reviewed, Old Grand-Dad is made at Jim Beam and is branded as one of "The Olds" with Old Overholt. I believe this recipe has more rye content than standard Jim Beam. Thanks to @Nozinan for the sample.

The colour is a medium copper. Quite fruity on the nose with pineapple and papaya. There is some toasted oak but not that much - I have a feeling this is pretty young whiskey. It's somewhat mentholated, like Vicks, which I find a little off-putting. Cigarette ash. Bitter dark chocolate. Very herbal and floral (less so with water), this really does strike me as not having as much time in oak as maybe it should have.

A bit more anchored on the palate, with more spices - pepper, rye and cloves - and a nice backbone of soft caramel. Not too sweet. The menthol and herbs that I found overpowering on the nose are here, but not so upfront. A drop of water adds sour cherries and puff pastry. Interesting, but still tastes too young.

The finish is soft with toasted oak and a nice umami note, then develops into mint and cotton candy. For me, this is more interesting than it is fully successful. That strong medicinal nose spanked me just a bit too hard, then before I could utter the safe word it pulled back and redeemed itself with some nice spices and baking notes. Overall, I like it fine but I think it should have been strapped into the barrel just a little longer.

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6 comments

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

Nice review. It's interesting that I scored it quite a bit higher than you, but you scored OGD114 a point higher than me. I wonder if I return to it whether I would give it a 88, but it seemed really good out there in Calgary.

You've inspired me to do a H2H one of these days to revisit both.

6 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

I like OGDBIB a lot better than 81 pts worth too..., but then I am not drinking from @talexander's bottle.

6 years ago 0

@talexander
talexander commented

@Nozinan Yes, at first I wondered if there was something up with the sample bottle, or even my glass - that big menthol / eucalyptus note was not what I remembered from the 114 (though in that review I do mention a lot of herbal notes). Reading my old review of the 114, I also call it "...bourbon that can slap you silly like your grandpappy might..." Clearly I have a theme running through all of these. And clearly I need deep, deep therapy.

6 years ago 1Who liked this?

@talexander
talexander commented

I will say, I let it sit for an hour or so and the "Vicks" note calmed down - but it didn't calm down enough for me. I would still rank it lower than both the 114 and the standard.

6 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

@talexander, OGD114 was my very first Connosr review. I said there "But make no mistake about it, this is kick you in the face bourbon!". OGDBIB is much lighter than the 114, but it is no shrinking violet. .If you don't like the BIB better than the 'standard' I suspect that you have a bad sample of the BIB.

6 years ago 0

@talexander
talexander commented

@Victor Well, it's a little shrinkier than I expected....and as for "violet" hmmm well that note might have been there as well........hmmmmmm....

6 years ago 0