Old Grand-Dad 114 is the best bourbon in the Old Grand-Dad lineup. It tastes better than any of the others, it smells better than any of the others, it has a better finish than the others, has a higher proof than the rest so you can dialing it in to your liking and it’s 1/2 the cost of Basil Hayden’s. In fact, it’s everything that Basil Hayden’s should be but isn’t.
This bottle proves that Jim Beam could make Basil Hayden’s a much better bourbon if they wanted to… and the should. Right now BH sits in the awkward position of being a lackluster bourbon in a fancy bottle in a lineup of good bourbons. It stands out like a sore thumb because compared to the others it’s limp and light, but enough about the overpriced woes of BH, we’re here to talk about Old Grand-Dad 114.
Old Grand-Dad 114 Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Jim Beam
Mashbill: 63% Corn, 27% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Cask: New charred oak
Age: 6 years
ABV: 57%
Price: $26
Old Grand-Dad 114 Review
EYE
Dark amber
NOSE
Oh man this is nice. Rich and full the aroma is layered with notes of dark fruit, caramel heavy dark sweets, vanilla, bold spice, hay, oak and a syrupy sweet undertone. It needs a bit more of those rustic earthy notes to fully balance it out, but it’s nice nonetheless.
PALATE
The flavor contains more facets than the aroma and, like the nose, is nice and rich. Oak, caramel heavy dark sweets and dark fruit give way to, and mix with, notes of leather, hay, pepper and baking spices. A feathery light bit of vanilla comes and goes like a flash in the distance.
FINISH
Long and oaky with bits of hay, chunks of caramel and a light drizzling of syrupy sweetness.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
The nose is a bit un balanced, but the flavor and finish both have a nice symmetry to them. A full round body and a heavy warm mouthfeel compliment the rich character.
OVERALL
Old Grand-Dad 114 is great and if the nose were balanced out it would be in the 90s but, as is, it’s the one thing keeping it out right now. Regardless, it’s still a great bourbon with a hearty, sweet and rustic, character that’s easy to enjoy. It comes in at a high proof and adding a splash of water helps open it up a bit. A splash can also help tame it if it’s feeling hot for your tastes. OGD 114 is a tasty full bourbon with a lot to offer and if you get the chance, give it a try.
SCORE: 89/100
Old Grand-Dad 114 Review - Score Breakdown
Value
Old Grand-Dad 114 is a fantastic value. It’s the king of the OGD lineup delivered at a working man’s price.
- Nose -
- Palate -
- Finish -
- Balance, Body & Feel -
One of the best deals in bourbon. 25 bucks where I live and have seen it drop to 20 occasionally. Punches way above its weight. Really no need to do Bakers or Basil (or dare I say even Knob Creek) with this one floating around.
It’s $35 here and that’s still a nice deal. Jealous of that $25 though! Cheers Kevin.
Just picked up a bottle of OG114 in Honolulu for $22.99. Absolutely loving it at that price point.
That’s a great deal Rich, cheers!
A damn good bourbon. Was going bottom fishing for OG or OC or some other lower tier bourbon to try out. Saw your post on 114 and gave it a try. Glad that I did. 35 dollars in SC where I live. Intend to buy more if I can find it.
Wow, that’s a stellar deal, it’s at least $50, when you can find it, here. Cheers Jack!
This is one of my always keep on hand favorites but I haven’t been able to find it anymore. Have they stopped putting this out or is Jim Beam saving this for their new 10 year Jim Beam whiskeys?
It’s just become allocated and they pulled back on the volume. Super unfortunate :(
I fully agree with your review. Don’t know if you have covered what I read somewhere, but it really works. This is to let your pour rest 5 – 10 minutes, allowing some of the alcohol to evaporate. Getting the alcohol down below its 57% out-of-the-bottle enhances my sensitivity to the flavors I really enjoy.
By the way, when I add a splash of water, all I feel that I taste is like the OGD 100. Some whiskeys do change flavor on my palette radically due to separation of guaiacol to the surface. To me, good examples of this are Rough Rider Straight Bourbon and Four Roses yellow label.
I’ve mentioned it in posts, but not an article or anything. But thanks for sharing Frederick. Cheers!
I’ve tried a lot of bourbons, from bottom shelf to top, and I rate OGD 114 as arguably the best value in the liquor store.
If you don’t like Beam products, fair enough. I’ve never fancied Jack, but many people love it.
That said, OGD 114 is remarkably smooth for its proof. It’s complex, with various flavor notes as the author of this review points out. I don’t even feel the need to cut it with ice or water. It’s that smooth.
At roughly $25 for 750ml, I would put it up against any other bourbon under $40. Mind you, at its proof, it’s like getting a litre of 90 proof hooch for the price of a 750 – let alone 80 proof bourbon.
I am amazed at how polarizing this bourbon is but, I have to say, I didnt enjoy my first pour of OGD 114. Subsequent pours, however, have completely changed my mind. This bourbon has become one of my favorites though I will admit I only drink it on the rocks. It is too hot for me to drink neat.
No problems with that. I love OGD 114 on the rocks when it gets warmer. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here Dan, cheers!
I add a lot of ice to it and sip
.. it is a bargain especially during these times
100%
Sipping on OGD 114 right now for the first time. That word “pepper” everyone has used seems key to this bourbon. It has the most peppery taste of any bourbon I have sipped to this point. I wonder if that unique turn of potent flavor leads to the great reviews. Uniqueness might be the winner here.
Love it, thanks for sharing Reily, and for me, uniqueness definitely helps :) Cheers!
I will be picking up some OGD 114 tonight after work since my WT 101 is almost gone.
I’ve never tried any OGD bourbon so I am looking forward to it.
On a side note, if you haven’t tried WT Rare Breed you should give it a try, one of the best high proof bourbons I’ve tasted so far at 116 ptoof.
Love Rare Breed, hope you enjoy the OGD 114. Cheers Perry!
So I’m sitting here at home reading this thinking of 2 weeks ago when I went to Nashville to visit my buddy of 47 years. We tasted bourbon and rye over four days in every price range. So, where your thinking of added earthiness, I’m thinking why not “double oak” it? I mean really…. it could be the ticket to making a good OGD a MUST HAVE!
I know that Makers is doing some things with different staves also. So it could be another way to improve on an already fine bourbon. What are your thoughts?
I think most of the time the double oaked thing doesn’t work. It could be interesting to try the Maker’s 46 approach with an OGD barrel. I’d really like to try that. Cheers HBK!
At around thirty bucks a bottle this is the deal of the liquor store. I see a lot of negative reviews on this but I don’t know where that’s coming from because this is a very good bourbon. Spicy and Rich and has a terrific finish. Definitely an everyday Drinker for me. Yes it is a Jim Beam product and maybe that’s what turns people away but I don’t care. This is good stuff! I get a little bit of the peanut flavor that I find in Booker’s which is never a bad thing. I purchase this on a regular basis…
Wow $30!?!??! I can’t get it for under $50 here and still consider that a good deal with the prices around here. That’s a hell of a steal on a great whiskey. Cheers Jason!
Great post and great replies. This is a divisive pour it seems…. I had my first pour of OGD114 last night. So far, I’m disappointed but I’m not giving up on it yet! I’ll keep the bottle on the shelf and give it a fair shake in a week or so… I love all of the feedback on this post – I’m a BH fan of the taste, not the price or the proofing so all of the back and forth was good fodder to chew on.
Regards!
Cheers, thanks for sharing!
I live in NC and enjoy it very much except for the occasional crazy politics. I’m from NY and lived for 2 decades in NYC. I’m a NY Yankees fan for life but I’ve found that some people hate my favorite team just because… well… just because they are the NY Yankees. I love the OGD 114 because it is a delightful and elegant whiskey. Some people seem to hate it just because it comes from Jim Beam. There are many Beam products that I don’t like but that doesn’t stop my taste buds from functioning properly. Cheers to you Josh for another great review!
For a second I didn’t know where you were going with that, but love the connection ;) Cheers Richard!
Intense
I had my first pour of OGD114 tonight and wow was the flavor intense. For the younger folks, it was redonkulous! After sipping my way through the first 1/2 of the pour, I added a few too many ice cubes and the joy was gone. :(
Live and learn.
Josh, your review was spot on again. Thanks for helping me find another great, unique, and affordable bourbon. Maybe BOURBON fits better.
Haha, thanks for sharing Tony. Cheers!
I had the bib first, it was the best kind of accident. Like meeting the love of your life in the laundry mat. I wasn’t new to bourbon but I was new to capital B BOURBON. I don’t know old grandad from old gramma. I found it in a licky in western mass omw to spend a weekend with some friends in the great north woods. The 100proof bib was $25. I remember thinking.. Something that costs $25 shouldn’t taste this good. What a weekend, what a girl and what a bourbon. I bought a case on the way home. So about a year goes by and and all the while Im putting myself through me very own bourbon college. And I studied hard. I mean I was the guy driving to surrounding towns, spending an hour plus in the rye/bourbon aisle googling reviews.. The wash, the jug etc. I learned about heaven hill, all the buffalo trace spin ups, the beautiful wild turkey offerings.(russells, fucking yum) The list goes on and on and on. Tasted everything up to a Pappy 10yr.(wish it was older but that’s what I tried. So fuck you.) Every bourbon I found I got my hands on it. And it was all due to that O.G.bib. Then my local licky here in beautiful Plymouth Massachusetts expanded its brown section. Brought in this 114. I bought a bottle, 3 days latter I bought another bottle, and another. God I love this beautiful brown baby. Its like what we used to call a sleeper when I was a kid. A car that didn’t look like much but it was faster that a F-15. That’s this bourbon.. A sleeper. No big price tag. No big add campaign. I truly makes me happy. Not drunk happy. I’m talking alive, senses all checking in happy. You know, I never knew my grandfather but I’d like to think he was just like 114.
Wow, thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed reading that. Cheers Justin!
Ya know, in the past couple of years I’ve read this review a handful of times and I enjoy it each time as if it were the first time. Like a Raymond Chandler novel. Thank you, and, as I sit here sipping on some 114, this is some special stuff.
Cheers Joe!
This is great stuff. It gave me a great weekend of sipping. My car ran out of gas in the way home and I poured some in the tank and it hot me to the gas station! Then when I got home, I noticed the kids got some paint on the side of the barn. This took it right off. Great stuff!
I bought a bottle today in Austin. $19.99 was a steal I thought. I have been looking for it the last couple of months. I was pleasantly surprised. I like the rye heavy taste and the light burn I get, only in the mouth though. The finish is also long, sweet and warm. Sorry I am not sophisticated enough to tell you what flavors I taste. I can tell you that the nose does not live up to the taste. Thanks for the review and recommendation Josh. I may have just found my daily bourbon, when I’m out of KC 120.
Dang, that’s a steller price. Thanks for sharing Dave!
Total Wine here in MN it was 18.99 until last September… They surged the price to 19.99 ;)
After reading the reviews picked up a bottle of OGD 114 on a business trip to KY this week. Haven’t seen it in NE Ohio where I reside. Saw plenty on the shelves in several stores, mostly $25-$30. First pour tonight (neat) and I’m a believer. To me, very reminiscent of Knob Creek SB which I’m a big fan of. Great depth of flavors with a nice long, spicy finish that gets your attention and that’s just what I like. Can’t be beat for less than $30. Hope it stays somewhat off the radar. Really enjoy your reviews Josh and you nailed it again on this one. Keep ’em coming. Maybe we should all dummy up about OGD 114 so the word doesn’t get out any more than it already has!
Ha, not a bad idea ;) Thanks and cheers TPM!
I have to say… This is my favorite bourbon on the shelf. From the first pour I ever took I was HOOKED. The cinnamon and rye spice with a few cubes that barrel reveals itself and proof cuts a bit. Just a really beautiful dram for every occasion. I hooked my FIN on this stuff. For me it sits right next to my 1792 small batch store pick. They keep me safe and warm in the cold north! Cheers.
Ha, nice. Cheers Paul!
Found it on the shelves at Spec’s last week and for some reason, I did not pick any up. I went back today and picked them all up and into my basket. At case price, I got them for about $21 each. Regardless of what Jim beam decides, I won’t run out for a while. Best bang for your money.
NICE!
Hit the lotto found 3 bottles of 114 in truck stop liquor store for $18.99 on sale. Would of bought more if they had just got 3 bottles of Weller 12 black this week and a Elmer t Lee single on Friday. Any one close to Kansas need a drink
OGD 114 is now almost impossible to find. Everywhere I have seen it before now says discontinued…. hope this is only short term. Everyone I have talked to said they don’t know when it’s coming back…. is this the end, or just a temporary shortage?
Hopefully just temporary, but only time will tell. Following the current whiskey trends it’ll come back as a LE at 2x the price. :/
We just got it back in AR. It did go up a bit but only a few dollars.
Cheers Lionel. I’ve been seeing reports of it popping up in the Southern and some of the Eastern states, but no luck out West yet… yet :) cheers!
Showing back in stock online at my local Total Wine for the same price…. crossing fingers it stays this way.
Oh wow, that’s great. Still not available in CA.
This stuff is just awesome. Thanks for turning me on to it – great review. Not sure it can be beat at $25.
Really hard to beat!
OLD GRAND-DAD 114 GETS RENEWED LEASE ON LIFE, FOR NOW, This what I found in an on-line item dated 15 Feb 17. According to the news item it won’t be discontinued this year. I started stockpiling last year. It’s a very fine bourbon at $25, great nose, full in the mouth feel, great taste, Just a bit better than the OGD 100. Thanks for the review. Ray F
Rumors of this bourbon going away are false (thankfully)!
http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2017/02/dont-cry-for-old-grand-dad-114.html?m=1
The manager at my local state run store confirmed that the warehouse had told him they have no more and will get no more. I was holding out hope for a miracle, but alas…it was not to be. RIP Old Grand Dad 114.
Love me some OGD 114. Cleaned out the last few bottles in Nashville at the end of last year. Will drink one per quarter for the next 5 years….then cry – like a little girl.
Haha, Cheers Bill!
Last night I think I found the last bottle of 114 in Massachusetts! At least I haven’t seen it elsewhere. As much as I want to crack it open now, I’m going to wait a bit. Also still looking for Weller, which is almost impossible to find around here.
Cheer Dan, I hope you enjoy it!
Irrational exuberance. After picking up the “last bottle” of 114 for $33, I saw a few bottles at the local liquor supermarket for $30 each. Then I saw some at Total Wines for $25, so bought another. No big deal, but sometimes in the rush to not miss out we collectors can exaggerate the scarcity of a product. Thanks for the great info.
Glad to know you found some. We decided to do an OGD 114 taste test the other night and had to drive out to the Valley to get one because Hollywood is all sold out.
In the ’60’s, I would buy my Old Grandad 100 proof by the gallon, as I had the rocking chair holder for the bottle. At that time, the cost was $32.50 a gallon in Chicago. I never worried about the nose, as I simply enjoyed the opportunity to drink what to me was a fine bourbon that did NOT burn when swallowing. I still have a gallon jug from those old days that has not been opened since I take warfarin and am not allowed the pleasure of whiskey any more. I also have a 1/2 bottle of Eagle Rare at 114 proof. It is also GOOD! By the way, I am 80 years old and had the misfortune of tasting some poor bourbons of the day.
Hey Darrel,
Thanks for sharing and that’s too bad, but it’s seriously cool that you still have one of those gallon bottles. I’ve seen those with the swings and I’ve always wanted one. They always look quite impressive when I see them setup. Cheers!
I have a unopened bottle of Old Grand DAD 114 LOT 8 and was wondering what the value might tax stamp in in tact. Thanks
It can vary from $100 – $300+, roughly, depending on time of year, auction, condition, audience etc.
Just took my first sips of OGD114. This stuff rocks! I was just drinking Four Roses small batch before this, which I think is a great whiskey, but this blows it away in the boldness and intensity of flavor, and at the same price as 4RSB, this is a steal. Going back to the store tomorrow to snag a few more in case the rumors are true that this is going bye bye next year
I’ve already snagged myself a few extra for that same reason. Cheers Andrew!
http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2016/10/old-grand-dad-discontinues-175-l-size.html
Say it ain’t so Joe…This story is about Beam discontinuing the 1.75’s of OGD, but the alarming statement is found near the bottom.
“The brand’s high proof expression, Old Grand-Dad 114, probably will be discontinued next year, Beam sources say.”
I’m afraid so… which is why I’ve already bought a few :)
Rushing off to work. I know you check these posts Josh. Can you post this one, and delete the other one please. Rushed, lousy grammar, and failed spell check:
Your review is accurate. The only thing I’d add, is that this stuff is truly first rate. The name doesn’t connotate “super high end stuff,” but ironically it’s pretty damn high grade, with no doubt. I’d easily take this in a heartbeat over the overrated Eagle Rare. It’s damn near barrel proof, superbly priced, and is complex as hell. I’d give a SOLID 93.
Gotta admit Josh is about as accurate as a tuning fork. He really can hit the subtle notes, and call out the elements of almost any bourbon that he get his hands on . . . accurately!
Updated for ya :)
Your drunk neighbor would thank you!
Josh , I really enjoy reading this site !!! I’m a guy that just digs Bourbon/Whiskey since I was a teen back in the late 70’s and 80’s . So , I’m no expert . But man , I do really love this OGD 114 ! It’s what all the other OGD offering wish they could be . I have a half dozen bourbon/Whiskey bottles of different brands at my home at any time and this is the bottle i keep replacing . It’s my favorite . Apparently , it’s not sold all over cause I have friends across the country that cant find it . I’m in the Georgia mountains on the Tennessee . North Carolina line an it’s available to me the next county over .. I consider myself lucky :)
Again , I enjoy this site and am a bit envious of the Bourbons youve tried . keep it up and Enjoy ! Cheers
Cheers John and thank you! I’m glad you can find it and you (we) are indeed lucky. I have friends in control states that can’t find it either and always smuggle bottles back when they’re out traveling.
My favorite bourbon is the one sitting in front of me and I try to make sure OGD 114 is always available. I had to order it from my favorite liquor store and I was shocked that the retail price was $19.99!!! I asked them to check and make sure they weren’t pricing the OGD bottled-in-bond or 86 proof. Nope….they charge $19.99 for this great bourbon! I enjoy this grand bourbon neat. (Of course I enjoy most whiskies neat). As always…thanks for a great review.
Holy cow, $20?!?! That’s incredible. Cheers Luis!
Mmm mmm. I like this bourbon! I want this on my whiskey shelf.
The nose surprised me. I expected this 114 proof to hit me. Nope, the nose is light… well, ok. As it hit my tongue, I sure felt some heat. This bourbon isn’t just heat, though. It’s loaded with layers of favor. I’m a serious coffee drinker and this has some dark, roasty notes I love! And happily, the finish lingers. Mmm, hot, sweet, and dark.
And then, to top it off, it’s under $30!!
Josh, Great review, dead on. The rye reminds me a little of Rittenhouse. This is one very intriguing whiskey. Find it a little bit out of balance compared to the EC12. All in all a very good whiskey!
Cheers!
Josh
59 years young and a life long drinker (hey I’m from Wisconsin, hey), but as I have gotten older I have migrated from beer to liquor (hard to do as I have relation who owns part of Sprecher Brewwery in Milwaukee); with Whisk(e)y, Rum and Tequilla as my go to spirits. Over the last five years or so I have tasted just about everything with a brown tinge and I seem to line up with many of your higher bourbon ratings you express on your blog. WT 101, OGD, OGD 114, Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace are all in my rotation at the home bar. I just picked up a bottle of 114 at $20.99 while next to it OGD BIB was priced at $24.99? I drink both, but at that price I picked up two bottles of 114. By the way a 1.75 of WT 101 was priced at $34.99 (you have to love Woodmans).
Hey Kenneth, thanks for sharing. You’re right on the money about those whiskeys and I currently have one of each in my house as well, so cheers to that. And holy cow, $35 for a 1.75 of WT 101, that’s amazing!
My state’s ABC stores just started carrying this one. I love it. Great nose…peanut brittle, vanilla, hay, oak and leather. All the good smells from an old barn. Heavy sweet with dry roast peanuts. Hot, but pleasant finish. Lingering taste of cinnamon redhots. Neat is the way to go with this one. A perfect sipper. One of my top five bourbons.
Cheers!
I am now building a stash of OGD114 batch 1, cause I don’t know how good batch 2 will be. There is a dent in the ceiling over my “tasting” desk where the first large sip sent me up out of my chair – from delighted surprise.
In a proper glass, a smallish brandy snifter, this stuff rocks. Straight with a bit of air time. I may eventually try it with a bit of water, but it is right – straight.
In future, I may actually nose it and look for palate sensations. Or not.
This is the risk that HH ran when they NAS’d Elijah Craig. Price so close and the EC can’t touch the OGD114. One would have to go to the EC barrel proof, I think.
I just finished a bottle of EC Barell Proof. My oh my is that stuff nice. Full of flavor, just the right amount of heat and easy to drink for a 130+ proof. But, now to the OGD 114. Quickly becoming a must have on my shelf. Pretty much the same thing can be said about this as was said about the EC BP. Very tasty and fun to drink. As Josh says … Cheers!
This good stuff! What whiskey is supposed to be. It’s hot, leathery, peppery, spicy and kicks you in the nuts. It’s dry, not much more then a hint of semi-sweetness. It’s minty and mean, just like whiskey should be. Well worth the money.
Cheers!
Really enjoyed my first bottle and will keep it on my shelf. It’s hot at first! But if you let it relax into some ice, it tastes great. The finish isn’t as long as i like, but good good good…
With a bit of ice it’s an amazing summer whiskey for sure. Cheers!
I’m working on my first 750 of OGD114 and enjoying it. It strikes me a bit differently at different times, but has leveled off into a profile that I really like. At first I loved the finish, then was getting a sour off-putting flavor at the very end, but that seems to have gone away as I’ve gotten used to it. I drink an ounce with one ice cube, or chill it in the freezer without the ice, or mix it with an assortment of juices and egg nog. For my money and enjoyment it’s a bargain.
Definitely a great value whiskey, no doubt about that. Cheers!
I’ve been an OGD 114 fan since I first discovered it a couple of years ago. I agree with your take. Its amazingly smooth & complex for such a high proof, low priced whiskey. I also agree with your criticism of Basil Hayden, which is a double rip off since they quietly removed the age statement. IMO, with its high price, fancy bottle & low proof, it’s aimed squarely at well heeled novices who want a pleasant sipper that they can drink neat without choking.
BTW, re OGD 114, like many whiskeys, IMO benefits enormously from being opened, consumed down to the shoulders & allowed to rest a bit. Evaluating any whiskey right out of the bottle, even if you let it sit for a while & swirl it, is a big mistake. A little time & some air in the bottle really smooths out the taste & give a much better yardstick of potential.
Re 80 proof Scotch. Compare Glenlivet 12 at 80 with their Nadurra @ 106 & you’ll find that Scotch is an order of magnitude tastier when it’s not so watere down.
Can’t argue with anything you’ve said. Cheers!
Agreed…I’ve had several bourbons that I didn’t care for when I first opened them. Tried them a week or so later after some air was in the bottle and got an entirely new experience.
Anything over 50% ABV I try to let it sit for a open after opening before writing reviews because of that. It’s really interesting how much that can change with bourbon.
The best way to store a whiskey bottle is on a 30° angle.
No, it should be stored upright. High proofed alcohol can quickly degrade the cork and taint the whiskey.
After quite a bit of searching my wife snagged a bottle of OGD14 for me for Christmas. Boy am I glad she went the extra mile. This is a surprisingly nice bourbon. I tried it neat on Christmas night and was very pleasantly surprised. Yes, it is big, bold and brash but still (for me) easy to drink neat. Nicely complex flavor, just the right amount of heat and a fantastically long finish. I’m going to have to keep this on my watch for list as it is not very common here in Baltimore.
Happy Holidays Josh!
That’s awesome, hope you’re able to find more. Cheers Jim!
Ahhhhhh … Picked up another bottle tonight. Thinking I need to visit my Old Grand Dad a bit more often. Really seeing the sweet aspects of the nose on this bottle and it carries over nicely to the palate. Still that long warm finish too. I now have three “daily drinkers” on my shelf. Buffalo Trace (Special Barrel Select from my local store), Wild Turkey 101 (just plain awesome) and OGD 114 (family knows best!).
That’s an awesome daily drinker shelf. All awesome stuff. Cheers Jim!
I’m 56 and have only been drinking bourbon now for three months. Of the “barrel proofs”, I’ve enjoyed Stagg Jr (batch 4), Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (batch 8), and OGD 114. While I mostly prefer the Stagg Jr and ECBP over OGD 114, I must say that for what I paid ($29.00) it is a VERY nice tasting bourbon. I agree totally agree with Josh’s summation of OGD 114.
Cheers Lyle!
Josh, Seems like you need a pro-OGD 114 post up in here. I think you’re right on the money with your review and Comments responses. But as Chuck Cowdery put it (paraphrasing) it’s a distinctive and legitimate style of bourbon, which I suppose means that it may not be for everyone.
It’s also interesting to observe selective expectation bias in action (and not just here): When Beam bought OGD from National Distillers, they kept the same mashbill and yeast for it (unlike Old Crow, which they replaced with Beam whiskey). I suspect OGD only tastes like Beam juice if one expects it to….
Hey Steve,
Thanks for the great insight.
Cheers!
Old grand dad 114 is by far the best I have had many different and I will recommend old grand dad 114 to all unfortunately I’ve moved from Oklahoma to Texas and can’t find it in any liqueur stores
Oh man that sucks, but at least in Texas you can find Weller 12 everywhere.
Cheers!
Also some of the best whiskey from Balcones Distillery. Cask strength baby blue bourbon knocks welder 12 and bookers out of the park.
I FIND IT IN DALLAS TX.
If you like rye-forward spicy whiskeys, OGD 114 is a rye-lovers bargain. Most places you can find it for $20-$25 a bottle. I also agree with you 100% on your comments thrashing Basil Hayden. BH was one of my biggest disappointments in a higher-priced bourbon. #nodisrespecttobakers7orbookers
Cheers!
I bought a bottle of this around the first of the year, based on good reviews. I tried for months to like it, but almost poured it out before gutting up and finishing it off recently. Then I found out it was a Beam product. No wonder I had to choke it down! I can’t stand Beam whiskies!
That’s too bad, but I get what you’re saying. Beam has a character all it’s own and I know plenty of people who can’t stand it.
Cheers!
Josh, I have an extremely old bottle of the Okd grand dad jug type sitting on a wooden rock with spout attached at the end for nice easy pours, have you seen these around anymore? I opened as requested by my grandfather who won it at a fair back in late 40’s early 50’s on the day of his funeral services. Since it was never opened it did evaporate just some in the the neck portion of the bottle. I was wondering who collects these types of items, I’m willing to sell what I have! I also have an unopened bottle with a case two aluminum cups bottle opener in brown wooden case with lock something that was designed for this product of OGD like for picnic or traveling Wil bury? Please advise to me thanks ahead of time Josh! Love your critique
Hi Jason,
Once a bottle is opened it looses all of its value, but being opened makes it easier to drink it ;) On the opened one I’d recommend to keep enjoying it with your friends and family. For the unopened one there is a market out there for it and I’d be happy to chat about it with you via email. Go to the Contact section and send me an email with pictures of the unopened one and I’ll see what info I can give you about.
Cheers!
Josh, you strike me as being too “on the ball” to not get the point of Basil Hayden’s being at 40% ABV (and you do seem to be going beyond expressing personal taste and expressing genuine puzzlement). The four members of the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection are purposely made with four different levels of alcoholic strength: a high-strength whiskey, a low-strength whiskey, and two in the middle with even those two being slightly different in ABV. I love robust whiskey and could happily live in a world in which every whiskey was bottled at cask strength and amounted to a veritable punch in the mouth, but we both know that there are an awful lot of people out there who think that the highest compliment they can pay a whiskey is to say that it is “smooth.” The Scotch industry doesn’t seem to mind selling quite a few single malts at 40% ABV, but it has always struck me as odd that in the US bourbon industry 40% is reserved for “the cheap stuff.” I think the Jim Beam distillery was quite shrewd in seeing that there was a hole in the market: people who want mild bourbon don’t necessarily want to always buy bottom shelf. Basil Hayden’s is pretty much the only “fancy” Kentucky bourbon targeted at the 40% lovers. I see no reason to begrudge that segment of the market their Basil Hayden’s while I am buying my Booker’s.
Moretears, I certainly understand the point you are making, but considering that the difference between 40% ABV and 50% ABV is the amount of water added, it is not too much of a stretch to understand why a more watered down whiskey would be considered less desirable. I’m not a fan of Scotch and tend to order the easier drinking varieties because I don’t care for the dry, peaty flavor profile. But my taste is the opposite when it comes to American whiskey. I like the sweeter, richer profile and the stronger the better.
On to the subject, OGD 114 is the only bottle of bourbon I have ever thrown out after one pour. I must have gotten a bad bottle because it was undrinkable. It was strong, but dry and tasted of burnt leather and cardboard. But based on Josh’s review here, I’ll have to give it another shot.
Ha! I dumped a pint of OGD BIB for being bad years ago. New make OGD 114 is excellent as Josh has accurately stated. I’m having some this evening, cheers!
Hey me too :) Cheers!
Hope you do and hope you enjoy it more than that. Having a glass and replying to comments right now. Cheers!
The puzzlement isn’t about why it exists in the tiered setup they have, but why anyone would pay $52 for OGD 80 in a fancy bottle. Especially after removing the 8 year age statement. It’s not about a desire to only drink big cask strength whiskeys, heck George Dickle 12 is one of my favorite sit-back-and-relax pours and it’s only 45%. So I don’t begrudge them for only bottling it at 80 proof, I begrudge them for slapping such a huge price tag on something that they already have in the market. It’s an obscene thing to pull over on the everyday consumer. It would be no different than if they just bottled some of the regular Jim Beam mashbill as a 40% NAS, wrote “small batch” on it, said it was “a little bit older” and charged $52. Everyone would look at that and start yelling about how it has no distinguishing difference between it and Jim Beam White. It would be a shitty practice there and it’s a shitty practice here. Make it a 10 year and keep it at 80 proof or make it a CS single barrel… something.