Old Grand-Dad 114
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
114 proof
Non Age Stated
Generally $30-$35
(may be lower or higher $$ depending on your region)
Please enjoy my Old Grand-Dad 114 Bourbon Review!
What make Old Grand-Dad 114 so special?
So, I always thought that the only difference between Old Grand-Dad 114 and the Bonded (100 proof) and 80 proof versions was just a step up in proof. Come on, I know you did, too.🙂 It turns out, though, that’s not quite the case. While all of the Old Grand-Dad bourbons (and Basil Hayden bourbons, for that matter) share the same mash bill, the similarities end there. I wouldn’t have believed this had I not read it on the Beam-Suntory website, but it turns out that OGD 114 is distilled to a lower proof than the others – 127. It is also bottled at barrel proof. Now we don’t know the barrel entry proof, but since most bourbons of this age go up in proof in Kentucky, we can assume that it is probably 110 or lower. So, all of these factors combine to give OGD 114 more flavor than its lower proof brothers.
Who is this Old Grand-Dad guy, anyway?
As a quick refresher – Old Grand Dad is Basil Hayden, Sr., and back in the day he was said to have made his bourbons with a higher rye content than was the norm. So that tradition continues today. Both the Old Grand-Dad and Basil Hayden lines share the same high rye mash bill. Most of the bourbons in these lines are non-age stated, other than the Basil Hayden 10 year.
Tasting Notes
Let’s taste Old Grand-Dad 114 Bourbon:
🛏 Rested 15 minutes in a Glencairn
👉🏻Nose: Vanilla, caramel, baking spices, cherry, light oak; moderate alcohol
👉🏻Taste: Caramel, vanilla, baking spices and simple syrup sweetness fairly quickly gives way to black pepper spice…
👉🏻Finish: …which builds into the finish picking up some oak and char as it lingers; moderate burn
In Conclusion
I have always thought this was a very solid bourbon and one that deserves a spot on everyone’s bar. Tasting it again today, I still feel that way. It has classic bourbon flavors, and lots of them. The rye spice is noticeable, particularly in the finish when it combines with the 114 proof. However, it is not overbearing. While the proof may make this a bit much for those starting out, this is definitely a bourbon perfect for those ready to make the leap into higher proof. Once they do, this will be a bourbon that they will likely keep coming back to.
But wait, there’s more!
I hope you enjoyed my Old Grand-Dad 114 Bourbon Review! If this sounds like a bourbon you would enjoy, you might like the Bottled-in-Bond version, too! Check out my Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond review!
Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us?🙂 If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!