Old Grad-Dad Bonded

Distillery: Jim Beam

Age: 4 Years

Proof: 100

Verdict: An incredible value.

Score: 6.71

OGD Bonded is one of the cheapest bottled-in-bond products on the market (Evan Williams and a couple others are around it too).  What you’re getting is a 4-year-old bourbon, meeting all of the other BiB requirements, all for around 25 bucks. 

The old grand-dad himself (pictured on the label) is Basil Hayden, a whiskey pioneer and early Kentuckian.  While the namesake has a more heavily-marketed product sharing the same mashbill, it is not uncommon to hear connoisseurs prefer this higher proof version.  There’s also a 114-proof version that is even more popular and a little harder to locate.

Old Grand-Dad Bonded bourbon tastes how a comforting handshake from an old friend feels.  Up front there’s pepper, heavy cinnamon, sweet caramel candy, spicy rye, and a hint of vanilla, all mingling together.  There’s a touch of smokiness hidden deeper in that’s hard not to keep searching for.  The short finish can feel a little harsher, spicy, and ethanol-forward, no doubt partially from the “high rye” content advertised on the label, but it won’t offend even novice drinkers.  Four roses is even higher in rye.

Don’t let the score fool you, this one is a bargain.  It’s a tasty, 4-year-old bourbon, for $25.  What more could you ask for? 

It’s common and can be found on lots of shelves.  Here’s the cheapest shipper I could locate:

It’s on THE LIST.

Grizz