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Named after Abraham Overhold (1784 - 1870), this Suntory owned brand has its roots as a Pennsylvania rye though it is now made and aged in Kentucky by Jim Beam. Old Overholt is the oldest continuously released rye in production. It was one of the few makers to continue production during prohibition under a medicinal whiskey license, potentially benefiting from its partial ownership by Andrew Mellon, Warren G. Harding's Secretary of the Treasury. This bonded iteration was introduced in 2017 as bottled-in-bond whiskey experienced a resurgence during the corresponding whiskey boom. Together Old Overholt and Old Granddad are referred to and sometimes marketed as "The Olds". While other rye whiskies experienced more of a resurgence in the 90s cocktails renaissance, Old Overholt remained a sleeper pick though it still has as strong connection to Old West culture. JFK and Ulysses S. Grant both considered this standard version of this whiskey to be their go-to.
🛒Sourced: $25.99 - Total Wine, GA - Competitive with Rittenhouse Rye which is a few dollars more
🧪Proof: 100 proof, 50% ABV - in accordance with the Bottled-in-Bond Act
🎨Color: Y5 or Gardner 9 - A dusk setting sun in autumn. The red top is kinda throwing me off though.
🥔Mash Bill: Unknown. Suspected to be fairly high corn content and somewhere around the 51% Rye legal minimum for the style. This helps keep the brand price friendly. During a brand revamp in the late 2010s, Beam chose to remove chill filtering from all Overholt iterations (W-choice). Aged four years per the bottled-in-bond act minimum.
👃Nose: Field grasses, floral perfume, and honeycomb waft lazily. Barely any proof or ethanol, mild mannered.
😜Palate: An initial rye spice blast deepens into botanicals, a florist shop bouquet that ends with honeysuckle and pear preserves. Somewhat light on the tongue it is flavorful but delicate. Sweeter than I would have expected. ;
💦Finish: Pretty long honestly. The fresh flowers hang on while the rye spice plays a slow diminuendo into a lasting but peaceful warmth.
🏆 Overall: 6/10 - Very good - I am intrigued with this bottle. Offhand, my mind was expecting something very close to Rittenhouse Rye. They're both bonded, rye, and around the same price point, but Old Overhold Bottled-in-Bond is very different (blinded I went 5 for 5 in a blind duo-trio test). It is lighter on the tongue as far less punchy than the Rittenhouse, but trades traditional oak/vanilla flavors for flora. As these flavors are somewhat more rare in American Whiskey (I see them more in scotch), this bottle has captured my imagination. While many debate chill filtering, this is a clear example for me of how not undertaking that process can leave more nuanced and captivating flavors. Worth a look if you're into budget bottles. A honeybee would be all over this thing.
💵Would buy again? Sure, it's a great value upgrade over the standard old Overholt and I like cheap ryes.
⚖️Rating Scale:
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume it by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws | Struggle to get through the bottle
4 | Serviceable | Mixing or ice recommended.
5 | Good | Drinkable Neat | An agreeable dram indeed.
6 | Very Good | Any flaws offset by interesting flavors | A cut above.
7 | Great | You find yourself reaching for this one often | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Serve to Impress Guests | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite | You guard this bottle jealously.
10 | Perfect | You didn't think anything could be this good | A clear champion.