Brian’s Old Grand Dad 114 Review
12-November-2020
OLD GRAND DAD 114 BOURBON REVIEW:
While Old Grand Dad 114 is never going to be in my daily rotation, it will satisfy when I’m in the mood for a spicy, woody but non-sweet bourbon. The nose has depth, yet few aromas pass through to the palate and little if any fruit components stand out. Still it peeks my interest. I’m not a cocktail guy, but I think Old Grand Dad 114 would be an excellent mixer as none of its aromas or flavors are overpowering. I like my bourbons neat.
OLD GRAND DAD 114 BOURBON VITAL STATS:
Region: Clermont, KY, USA
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: Suntory Holdings
Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery
Mashbill: 63% Corn, 27% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Cask: New charred oak
Barrel Entry Proof: Unpublished
Age: nas (about 6 years)
ABV: 57% (114-Proof)
Price: $30.99 USD (2020 – Liquor Warehouse, Dickinson, ND)
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
For the evaluation, I shared the juice neat from Glencairn glasses with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.
Check out her review for this bourbon here!
NOSE:
At first waft, Old Grand Dad 114 offers a strong alcohol bite of warm ethanol infused sherry. Roasted corn and dusty grain mix with berries as if in some kind of creamy fruit confection. Added nosing brings a blueberry pancake syrup like aroma and sweet dark cherries, blood orange and raisin blend with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, white pepper and rye. Butterscotch, brown sugar and woody caramel give way to an aroma of chocolate-cream covered, vanilla infused roasted peanut toffee. Then the wood; old seasoned and spicy oak bound but be cautious – With heavy draws, sinus clearing eucalyptus can tickle before the smoky-sweet toasted barrel char and an earthy potting soil settle to old leather.
PALATE:
The nosing makes me salivate, and the first mouthful of Old Grand Dad 114 comes home. I am greeted by strong alcohol and a warm bite as well as roasted corn and dusty grain but only the faintest hints of fruit promised on the nose comes it through and then as a bit of dark cherry and blood orange syrup. Spices of cinnamon, black pepper and rye are strong, almost hiding sweets of woody caramel, and the treat of a bittersweet chocolate-vanilla covered roasted peanut toffee. A plus though – the old seasoned oak and smoky-sweet toasted barrel char redeem this leather filled earthy pour.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
The nose hints to an amazing bourbon, but in the mouth the liquid falls a bit short. The aromas of fruit are gone and so is the sweet. Yet the mouthfeel is viscous and oily as it gives the tongue a tickle. In the Glencairn, the bourbon offers an impressive, evenly-spaced crown after the curtain breaks into wide fast-falling legs to return the liquid to the tawny pool.
FINISH:
The strong alcohol of Old Grand Dad 114 lingers on the palate it is quite manageable. Most of the traits in the aroma are gone and many of the flavors have as well. Traces of roasted corn and dusty grain dance with memories of a single but indistinguishable dark fruit as pepper and rye give way to a slight brininess. Any sweetness is gone, but the old seasoned oak and smoky-sweet barrel char are there. And as one might expect, when the last dram is downed, a little alcohol and a raft of old oak lumber wafts from the empty Glencairn.
MY RATING: 82/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? NO
While Old Grand-Dad 114 ticks my “High Proof”, “Spice” “Wood” and “Earthy” boxes it falls far short of my preferences for “Sweet” and “Fruity” bourbons.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 82/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this distillery, click Jim Beam.
WHISKEY TRAITS AND FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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