Do you enjoy high proof rye whiskey ?
Last year Jim Beam released Old Overholt 114 proof. While we have had several high proof rye whiskies we were excited to see this one. It showed Jim Beam commitment to their old line. This is the longest continually maintained brand of whiskey in America operating since 1810. Abraham Overholt took over management of his father’s distillery in 1810 and made it into a successful business producing 12 to 15 gallons of rye whiskey every day by 1820.
By 1900 Old Overholt had become a national brand. The brand was granted a permit for selling medicinal whiskey during prohibition allowing them to continue operating, In 1932 the brand was sold to National Distillers and by the 1960s Old Overholt was the only nationally distributed rye whiskey. In 1987, Old Overholt was sold to the James B. Beam Distilling Company and since 2015 along with Old Grand Dad has been marketed as “The Olds”
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Tasting Notes: Old Overholt 114 proof
Vital Stats: his rye whiskey is aged 4 years and has an undisclosed mash bill of 95%. It has a $35 MSRP that is perfect for the 114 proof. Its non-chill filtered.
Appearance: The bottle is the only thing we can complain about. Brown with a screw top hiding the beautiful golden honey whiskey inside.
Nose: Mint, caramel, nutmeg and Christmas fruit cake. The sweetness lets you know it’s a rye.
Palate: Buttery with some sweetness and drying on the back end. It presents itself as a lower proof whiskey. A tad bit of nuttiness shows up on the mid. A slight hint of oak and leather along with that fruit cake. Little to no spice.
Finish: Medium with a light Kentucky Hug.
Overall: This is certainly a buy for both of us and is perfect for almost any cocktail. We would suggest you add both “The Olds” to your bar. Cheers
Great review of this version of a historic rye whiskey. This was an Ohio exclusive when first released in 2020 and I really appreciate Beam giving attention to this brand. Noticeably better than the standard release and at the current Ohio price of $19.99 a real steal for a great quality legacy brand.