Old Grand-Dad 114 Single Barrel Review: Worth $53?

Old Grand-Dad 114 Single Barrel is a good $53 bourbon for drinkers who want bold rye spice and a full 114-proof punch. We both enjoyed it, though a drying finish and a little ethanol kept it from being a bottle we'd stock up on.

At a glance

• Producer: Jim Beam
• Age: 7 years
• Proof: 114
• Mash bill: 63% corn, 27% rye, 10% malted barley
• Lot: Number one
• Price: Around $50; we paid $53 plus tax
• Tom's rating: Solid blue on our scale
• Steve's rating: Solid blue

This is the single-barrel expression of Old Grand-Dad, reportedly intended as an annual release. We've heard it compared to Jim Beam's version of Blanton's because of that single-barrel format.

Different barrels can taste different, so these notes apply to our bottle. We also tasted a fresh neck pour, which we think may open up with time.

Nose: vanilla, brown sugar and orange zest

The first sniff gave us deep oak and vanilla. Once we settled into the glass, vanilla and brown sugar led, with fruit and orange zest behind them.

Oak wasn't nearly as strong as that first impression suggested. We could make a case for a little toasted oak, but even that felt like a stretch.

The biggest surprise was how gentle it smelled at 114 proof. Nothing overpowered the nose, and we didn't pick up an ethanol burn. To us, it smelled mellow for its proof without leaning heavily on oak.

Palate: minty rye spice and charred oak

This drinks like 114 proof. It doesn't hide its strength, and we both noticed that immediately. We've had 107- and 110-proof bottles that didn't hit this hard.

One of us caught a little ethanol on the first sip. On the second, that gave way to a clearer minty rye spice. The high-rye mash bill makes itself known here.

Charred oak showed up on the palate much more clearly than on the nose. We also found nuttiness, a little honey, tobacco and citrus. A touch of cocoa came through as we kept tasting.

The tobacco was more definite for one of us; the other picked up citrus, spice and possibly some tobacco. Those differences aside, the minty rye character was something we agreed on.

We didn't find much malted-barley character. It also lacked the thick, viscous feel one of us associates with that flavor. The rye influence was much easier to identify.

Finish: lingering flavor and dry peanut brittle

The finish sticks around, carrying the palate's flavors with it. It also dries the tongue, which became one of our main drawbacks.

Steve eventually landed on peanut brittle as the clearest description. There's a sticky, nutty impression that mellows out, followed by that drying feeling you can get after eating too many peanuts.

We liked the lingering flavor more than the dry texture. That combination kept the finish interesting, even if it wasn't completely comfortable.

Price and availability: appealing at $53, less so above $70

Our bottle came from a New York trip toward the end of June, from what we think was Exit 9 Liquors. The shop had over 1,000 types of whiskey and an impressive store-pick selection. That stop turned into several bottles, and the selection made us wish for a bigger budget.

At $53 plus tax, this still landed under roughly $60. That's within what we consider budget bourbon territory, even if it's near the upper edge.

Neither of us had seen it during our Maryland bourbon hunting. One of us remembered seeing it in Pennsylvania above $70 and left it there. Our enthusiasm makes more sense around $50 to $60 than above $70.

Old Grand-Dad's price jumps also give us pause. We talked about roughly $30 for the regular bottle, around $60 for this single barrel, and $200 to $250 for the more expensive Old Grand-Dad bottle one of us bought. At that last price, another purchase looks unlikely.

The brand still carries that bottom-shelf association for us. One of us remembers drinking Old Grand-Dad back in his late 20s. But we still think Old Grand-Dad Bottled in Bond is a great pour, and we also enjoyed last year's 7-year release.

For this single barrel, the stronger proof and flavor help justify the price. Still, there are other bottles we'd rather have for $50. If you especially enjoy high-rye bourbon, this will likely make more sense to you than it does to someone who only occasionally wants that profile.

We enjoy barrel-strength rye, but that doesn't automatically make every high-rye bourbon a favorite. This bottle drove that distinction home for us.

A good gift for someone who likes a stronger pour

The cool-looking bottle and good flavor make this a gift we'd consider for someone getting into bourbon who already enjoys stronger whiskey. That drinker's taste matters more here than the appeal of a new single-barrel release.