Review

Old Grand Dad Bottled-in-Bond

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Grand-Dad Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled In Bond
50% ABV/100 Proof
$17 to $20
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Old Grand-Dad was a distiller named Basil Hayden who made his name by distilling a bourbon whiskey made with a higher percentage of rye. Basil Hayden passed along the art of distilling to his son and then, in turn, to his grandson. It was the third generation distiller, Colonel R.B. Hayden, who honored his grandfather by naming his justly famed
whiskey “Old Grand-Dad.

What Richard Says:
Nose: More oak than the 86 proof version. A little water opens up some peach notes and a hint of maple syrup.
Palate: Robust. The rye kick comes out first and keeps plugging through the whole way. A little water opens up some nice floral notes and a corn syrup sweetness that plays well with the spicy rye.
Finish: Surprisingly mellow at bottle strength. The finish is rye and oak all the way. Water tends to kill the finish.
Comments: Of all the Old Grand Dad versions (including Basil Hayden’s) this my favorite. Part of it is a little sentimentality because of the increasing rarity of bottle in bond bourbon. Mostly, it’s because this is a kick ass version. Old school rye bourbon? Here you go. It’s more flavorful and robust than Basil Hayden’s and the 86 proof version without the alcohol fire of OGD 114. This is plain old bourbon. No fancy aging, finishing, or tinkering. Just good stuff in the bottle. I always try to keep a bottle of this at home right next to my Rittenhouse Bottled In Bond.
Rating: Stands Out

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Old Grand Dad

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Grand-Dad Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
43% ABV/86 Proof
$13 to $15
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Old Grand-Dad was a distiller named Basil Hayden who made his name by distilling a bourbon whiskey made with a higher percentage of rye. Basil Hayden passed along the art of distilling to his son and then, in turn, to his grandson. It was the third generation distiller, Colonel R.B. Hayden, who honored his grandfather by naming his justly famed
whiskey “Old Grand-Dad.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Caramel, wildflowers, corn, and black tea.
Palate: Sweet and mellow at first, then you run into a distinct rye spiciness.
Finish: Heavy on the spicy rye.
Comments: Old Grand Dad isn’t your typical bottom shelf old bourbon brand. It’s quite a bit better than Old Crow, Rebel Yell, and all those other “old redneck” bourbons you might sneer at when picking up the latest “master distiller’s” whatever. If you want to know what “rye spiciness” is in a bourbon when you see it written then pick up a bottle of this and you’ll find out. In cocktail, on the rocks, or straight up…I’ll take an Old Grand Dad whenever it’s offered.
Rating: Average

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Early Times 354

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Early Times 354 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
40% ABV/80 Proof
$15 to $17
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Experience where bourbon begins.

A little bourbon history: Early Times started out as a bourbon back in 1860, and remained so until the early 1980s.

It all started with our founder, Jack Beam (Jim’s uncle), who began working at his family’s distillery at the tender age of 15. In short order, he was running the operation and in 1860 built his own distillery at Early Times Station, Kentucky.

Beam named his whisky Early Times, both as a tribute to its place of origin and as a nod to the old-world craftsmanship that goes into making it. He believed in the early times method of whisky-making: mashing grain in small tubs, boiling the beer and whisky in copper stills over open fires. It’s an abiding belief that has stayed with the Early Times brand ever since.

By 1953 Early Times was the best-selling bourbon in the world. As the vintage advertising from that era proclaimed, Early Times is “the whisky that made Kentucky whiskies famous.” Steeped in bourbon history, Early Times Distillery’s federal permit, No. 354, is the longest held in Kentucky.

Today Early Times pays homage to its rich bourbon heritage with Early Times 354 Bourbon.

This classic, full-bodied bourbon honors that philosophy – delivering superior taste and exceptional value. In fact, Early Times 354 Bourbon was preferred by Jim Beam drinkers in a national, independent taste test.*

Crafted with pure water, select grains and proprietary yeast, carefully distilled, matured for four years in select oak barrels and bottled at 80 proof, it’s the newest (and in a way, the oldest) member of the Early Times family.

Tasting Notes

Color: Deep amber

Aroma: Spicy with sweet fruit, fresh oak and delicate corn notes underscored by a layer of vanilla and caramel

Taste: A lively entry with spice, caramel and vanilla that melt into a mixture of fresh and dried fruit notes

Finish: Warm with subtle hints of apple and corn

What Richard Says:
Nose: Caramel, vanilla, oak, a hint of pipe smoke, and fruit.
Palate: A little vanilla, and fruit but it’s pretty bland, yet harsh. More than anything it tastes young.
Finish: Oak and a little tart.
Comments: This is much better than regular Early Times. Even still, this is still a little too young. I think it makes a fine mixer or on the rocks but I’d pass on drinking this straight.
Rating: Probably Pass

We want to thank Brown Forman for providing us with a bottle for review.

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Early Times

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Early Times Kentucky Whisky
40% ABV
$13 to $15
Available damn near everywhere

What the Distillery Says:
Early Times Kentucky Whisky is distilled, aged a minimum of three years and barreled in used oak barrels at the Early Times Distillery in Shively, Kentucky. We are the only company to own its own cooperage and make its own barrels, which allows us to control how the barrel contributes to the taste characteristics of Early Times. Early Times Kentucky Whisky is known for being a high-quality whisky that delivers a consistently smooth taste and flavor profile while still being offered at a value to our consumers.

Color: Light, bright honey

Nose: A fresh, sharp oak note ripens into a dry clove spice and hay, hints of leather, dill spice and fruit add complexity to a subtle foundation of white chocolate.

Taste: Smooth and creamy malt character with a light oak sweetness and herbal grass notes.

Finish: Mild and clean, and fulfilling with a very pleasant, soft, apple peel character.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Woody, vanilla, peaches, and a light caramel sweetness.
Palate: Very smooth and lightly sweet. It’s almost like it’s not there.
Finish: The finish is a little short and bland. There’s just a bit of oak. Blink and you’ll miss it.
Comments: Brown-Forman sent us a bottle of this with their new 354 Bourbon so that we could compare and contrast. For those that don’t know, the reason why it’s “Kentucky Whisky” and not bourbon is because there’s some aging in used barrels going on. More likely than not, when you order a well drink containing whiskey you’re likely getting Early Times. It’s cheap, plain, and unoffensive. There’s nothing wrong with drinking this straight it just doesn’t bring a lot to the party.
Rating: Probably Pass

We want to thank Brown-Forman for providing us with a bottle for review.

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Isle of Jura Prophecy

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky /

The Isle of Jura Prophecy Single Malt Whisky
46% ABV/92 Proof
$75
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
The latest in Isle of Jura’s range of expressions, Prophecy is a solera-style compendium of casks with varying levels of peating and age. Chill filtration was not used by Isle of Jura in order to preserve the malt’s unique nuances and character. The distinctive bottle features the “third-eye” of a fabled seer who purportedly predicted the end of Clan Campbell some 200 years before it occurred.

Color: Burnished, old gold
Nose: Abundance of peat smoke upfront yields to clean, briny/iodine close, rounded-out with traces of vanilla, orange zest and spices
Taste: Rich, velvety mouth-feel; profound core of smoky peat at attack and carried throughout; the mid-palette offers an intriguing mix of
heather honey sweetness and dried fruits before turning drier with more intense pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon spice.
Finish: Peaty flavors linger, drying back to a long, slow close.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Fresh cut pine and campfire smoke. Slightly briny.
Palate: Oily yet very clean. More wood smoke than peat. Fruit and honey hide behind the first hit of the smoke.
Finish: Very smooth finish with just a hint of smoke.
Comments: This is kind of like Superstition’s more refined older brother. I like this a lot. Oddly enough, it doesn’t really taste like a Jura but that’s not necessarily a bad thing in this case. While but Superstition and Prophecy stand out, I like this one a little more.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to than Laura with The Baddish Group for providing us samples for review.

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