Saturday, July 14, 2012

Old Grand-Dad

Old Grand-Dad Bottled in Bond, 100 proof.  Jim Beam Distillery - $20
Produced by Beam Inc, there are 3 versions of OGD - 86 proof, 100 proof BIB, and 114 proof.
This review is for the 100 proof BIB (bottled in bond).  Old Grand Dad is a reference to Basil Hayden who began distilling a high rye grain bourbon in the late 1700's, and this OGD is allegedly a similar recipe.

Bottled in Bond is (from Wikipedia, as I would have nothing to add)

Bottled in bond refers to American-made spirit that has been aged and bottled according to a set of legal regulations contained in the United States government's Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits (27 C.F.R. 5.21, et. seq.), as originally laid out in the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897,
To be labeled as "Bottled-in-Bond" or "Bonded," the spirit must be the product of one distillation season and one distiller at one distillery. It must have been stored (i.e., aged) in a federally bonded warehouseunder U.S. government supervision for at least four years and bottled at 100 (U.S.) proof (50% alcohol by volume). The bottled product's label must identify the distillery (by DSP number) where it was distilled and, if different, where it was bottled.

Nose - Brown sugar, corn, toffee.  

Flavor - If I were asked "what does bourbon TASTE like" or "give me a pour of something that tastes like bourbon in it's most raw form", I would pour this.  The taste is very bold, very spicy and somewhat woody.  Fantastic balance between the sweetness of the corn and the peppery quality of the rye.  

Score - 88 - Highly recommended, especially considering the $20 price.  If you are new to American whiskey, try this next.

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