Old Grand Dad

I know, I know - this is getting monotonous! But it's not my fault that Canada Day and Independence Day are three days apart. So now I gotta do a bunch of American whiskeys. Well, it's a hard knock life.

Old Grand-Dad is one of the standard bourbon brands under Beam Global (which not too long ago came into the LCBO, I believe for the first time). So who exactly is "Old Grand-Dad"? Basil Hayden - who already has his own bourbon, the greedy bastard.

The distillery was established in 1882 by Hayden's grandson, Colonel R.B. Hayden - though the original distillery is now closed. During Prohibition, it continued to be distilled by the American Medicinal Spirits Co. and was permitted to be prescribed as medicine. Production now takes place in the Jim Beam Clermont and Boston distilleries.

The colour is a medium amber. On the nose, lots of caramel and vanilla (creme brûlée), with herbs such as mint and, interestingly, basil. Rye spices such as cinnamon, cloves and cumin. Lots of oak enveloping everything. A classic bourbon profile though not overly distinctive. At 40%, water does nothing but dilute the nose and palate.

The palate is underwhelming - some toffee, spice, dark fruits and something medicinal that I can't quite put my finger on (by the way, I wrote that note before I researched its medicinal past!)

The finish is more interesting with woodsmoke, fruits such as cherries and dates, and paprika right at the end. Perfectly drinkable bourbon, and would make a good mixer, but there's really not much going on. In my research (and by research I mean five minutes on the Interwebs) I found it always referenced at 43% ABV. Perhaps they bottle it at 40% for export to Canada? If anyone knows the answer, please share!

Nose, Taste, Finish and Balance are graded out of 2.5 each:

Nose: Although being a bourbon (thus made from at least 51% corn), Old Grand Dad is known for having a very high rye content, and that is immediately apparent on the nose. Deep notes of molten brown sugar and liquorice envelope your nose, and you can almost feel the tickle of jalapeno rye spice on your nostrils. Grounded aniseed and talcum powder waft through the air, slowly dissolving into a sweet grapefruit juice that runs underneath brown sugar and liquorice. A final note of worn leather completes this wonderfully complex nose. 2.0

Taste: A peculiar, almost vegetal quality to this light-bodied bourbon, with hints of broccoli and asparagus mixed in with your more typical shortbread and vanilla bourbon notes, while at the same time packing a very feathery rye-spice punch, perhaps even more of a playful rye slap. 2.0

Finish: A leathery intro to this more pronounced finish, with raspberry and vanilla waves swelling up behind it, before crashing onto the palate with a spicy pepper froth. These aren't however Pacific waves of great magnitude, more like pleasant ripples that one finds while walking the dog along a northern-european coastline. Equally picturesque, but perhaps not as breathtaking as some of its Pacific peers. 2.0

Balance: There is a sense that this Whiskey might be caught slightly between two worlds. It is neither a classically sumptuous Bourbon, nor is it a full-on, eye-watering, Rye-spice defibrillator. Yet while being neither, it is also a bit of both, and is thus a very intriguing fusion of a whiskey. Sometimes Bourbon doesn't need to be quite so indulgent, and sometimes Rye doesn't need to be such a heavy punch to the mouth. This is an all together softer approach to both, and benefits from a balanced marriage between each. I suppose this is a Grand-Dad that has gained a calm and subtle complexity in his later years, while nonetheless retaining a little sparkle in his faded yet unmistakeable rye smile. 2.5