Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey

Brian’s Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey Review:

reviewed 30-October-2021

OLD OVERHOLT STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY REVIEW:

Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt) is an interesting rye. The whiskey has pleasant aromas and flavors: sweetness founded in wood, but these do not dominant. Rather, they pair to provide a solid foundation for the spice and fruit to shine. This is a good whiskey, one I will reach for again.

OLD OVERHOLT STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY VITAL STATS:

Category: Straight Rye
Region: Clermont, KY
Company: Beam Suntory
Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery/A. Overholt & Co.
Mash Bill: unpublished
Barrel Char: #4
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: 3 Years
ABV: 43% (86 Proof)
Price: $18.95 (Idaho 2021)

“The oldest, continually produced and maintained rye whisky brand in America.”

— Beam-Suntory
ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, alternate amounts to achieve review portions of about four ounces were poured into two Glencairns from a newly opened bottle. My daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat for this review.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

OLD OVERHOLT STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY NOSE:

Wafts of Old Overholt are dry with just a slight nip of alcohol. As I sniff, the pour gives up fruit tree blossoms and herbal notes of dusty grain. Then come aromas of soft apple-raisin-cinnamon compote in a light vanilla infused rye pastry. The sweetness continues as brown sugar fades to light molasses with a cashew-like nuttiness. Dryness continues as I draw faint oak, a bit of barrel aroma and a touch of leather from the glass before taking the first sip.

OLD OVERHOLT STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY PALATE:

Old Overholt’s herbal aromas pass to the palate as do the soft baking apples. There aren’t many flavors but they do stand out. I get rye bread, faint cloves and pepper which pair nicely with notes of cocoa, vanilla, some light brown sugar and refined molasses. I also taste roasted nuts, and light and dry toasted oak. The flavors make this an earthy pour.

Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
Old Overholt is a simple and gentle rye. The liquid is viscous and oily and there is no alcohol to contend with owing to low 86 proof. After each sip, the wash breaks into irregularly spaced long clinging legs to return the liquid to the russet colored pool. And left behind is a thin crown with few clinging droplets.

OLD OVERHOLT STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY FINISH:

Old Overholt Rye has a dry, medium and warm finish. Like sensed on the nose and palate, the finish is herbal with a bit of dusty grain. As each sip is swallowed there is a an aftertaste of soft apples, toasted nuts and faint, almost burnt sawdust. I also feel a sensation of bitter citrus, a dash of powdered ginger, the memory of rye bread and some bittersweet chocolate as the finish fades. And when the last drops are downed, the empty Glencairn smells of dried pollen and summer leaves drying along the sides of a winding back-woods dirt road.

MY OLD OVERHOLT STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY RATING: 85/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
This rye could very well be a calibration pour or even a final dram when just a bit more is needed at the end of the night.
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 85/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this distillery, click Jim Beam.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey
Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey

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Old Overholt Rye Review

Hannah’s Old Overholt Rye Review

Original review written October 30, 2021

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Entertaining back-and-forth balance, easy to sip, and with a character I’d say is distinct and enjoyable. I’ll look to keep Old Overholt around the bunker. 88/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Clermont, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Beam Suntory Distillery
– Classification: Straight Rye Whiskey
– Age: 3 yrs.
– Mash Bill: unpublished
– Casks: Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: unpublished
– ABV: 43% (86 proof)
– Price: $18.95 USD in Idaho (2021)

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the spirit neat from a Glencairn with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this rye here!

SETTING:

I think Old Overholt would make for a good companion on a winding dirt road. Idly sip as you walk and take in the scenery with the fresh air almost burning your lungs with its purity. The earthy savory will match your walk, and the sweet will easily keep each step lively.

Photo by Trevor Wilson on Unsplash

NOSE:

Dusty grain, particularly corn, and vanilla bloom from the glass first followed by light brown sugar and leather. There’s some caramel wood tones along with some berry nectar. There also seems to be a nutty, salted toffee element that is both sweet and simultaneously outdoorsy. It seems for everything savory on this nose, there is something quick to pair with it that falls under a sweeter variety. So far, the balance just on the nose is decent. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily complex, and it certainly isn’t strong. However, it’s easy and palatable. The alcohol is nonexistent, but at only 86 proof, I’d be shocked if it was noticeable at all.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Pleasant. Nothing remarkable, but it is nice all the same.
– Balance: I find the play of sweet and savory from the nose, carried over to the palate, and I do find myself liking the back and forth trading.
– Visual: Honey in color, the ring of a crown stays thick around the glass, but gives way to equally thick, slow-dropping legs.

– Taste: It’s easy to hold on the palate, with some bittersweet chocolate mixing with the dusty grains from the nose. I also find maple sweetness at the back of the palate mingling with oaky richness. There are buttery walnuts back with the toffee, but the toffee isn’t quite as strong here as it was on the palate. Even on the spice, the savory/sweetness pairs continue with the trend. I can certainly identify the rye, but it’s not as bright and fresh as it is in other ryes. It provides texture and it goes with some white pepper which acts similarly to the rye. There aren’t too many fruits here, aside from the essence of perhaps a fruit leather of a stone fruit.

The alcohol is still entirely nonexistent, but for whatever reason, I’m not too bothered by this. A Kentucky chew lasts forever, with the alcohol tickling and leaving behind a subtle flavor of cherry and oak. Not a bad combination at all.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Short-medium. I wouldn’t say the warmth sticks around much at all, but I do get some aftertaste.
– Between Sips: I find the oak to be the most prominent between sips, backed up by a hint of vanilla. While I’m not usually a big fan of a dominant oak, I find this to be an enjoyable pause all the same.

– No More: This stays consistent as I go through the glass, and I’m enjoying it thoroughly. It’s just solid.

The empty Glencairn is a warm oak with just a little bit of spice. I would have loved to try that spice out more on the palate, but I’m still not disappointed at all in what Old Overholt had to offer.

WORTH THE PRICE?

At $20, I’m quite impressed with this offering. It’s decent, with a fun balance, and just seems solid all around. I’ll consider keeping it around quite strongly, given its price.

OLD OVERHOLT RYE REVIEW RATING: 88/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 88/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this distillery, click Jim Beam.

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