Old Grand-Dad 114 Bourbon

Color: Deep Amber Nose: Sweet nose — cherry cordial, slightly "musty" — but in the best way possible. No ethanol to speak of, but the nose certainly is telling of the proof. I'm getting more, but I can't pin-point it. Time for the first sip... Palate (drank with an ice cube): Yeah! The palate is like if your tongue was your nose. Both are in perfect alignment. Cinnamon hits the front of the tongue on the first sip and a Big Kentucky hug follows on the first swallow, but at the same time amazingly smooth and flavorful. Spicy and "buttery"(?)... there's a decent amount of "sweet", but the spice (the high rye?) dominates the palate. I'm going out on a limb here.... I recently tasted and reviewed Old Ezra 7 Year. I said it was like every Booker's batch I've ever had. Well, this one is even more Booker's-esque as that (What's up with the "Old" bottles?). Back to the palate... Yes, I am attributing what I am getting mostly to the "high rye" mash bill that this bottle sports. I really — really — like this stuff. I loved Old Grand Dad BiB 100 proof, so I had a feeling I would like this as much, at the very least. I'm getting "tobacco" as the ice dilutes. I'm digging this stuff! Finish: I'd say a medium finish with lingering spice and tobacco. Final thoughts: Ummm... I think I just found a new favorite to add to my "desert island" bottles. Anyone who loves Booker's but can't, or doesn't want to, fork over $100+ dollars for a bottle of bourbon should definitely grab this. Old Grand Dad 114 is living proof that $$$$ doesn't always mean everything in the whiskey realm. 4.5 stars!

Browsing the liquor recently and saw this sitting on the bottom shelf. I have read generally positive reviews over the years and have been intrigued, but never actually pulled the trigger on purchasing, until now. At 114 proof and under $30 the only question to be answered is this a quality pour? N: Ethanol vapors initially cloud the aromas. As it dissipates, what a sweet nose comes through. Candy corns, Karo corn syrup, vanilla, aged leather and peanut brittle. As nose that has similar qualities to Old Tub. P: A medium full body with some teeth. Tobacco leaves, cola, the same Candy Corns carrying over from the nose, cinnamon, ginger root and rye. All the flavors are bold, punchy and bright. W: Much sweeter with a good dose of water. A toothless caramel and vanilla sipper without the earthy spice. F: A solid woody finish, earthy, leather, spicy hot, prickly and long. A finish that lasts long and deep. A trait that makes a whiskey a rewarding and is often lacking in many. O: Surprisingly crisp. This sips as a mid-tier bourbon that carries rich and flavorful flavors. The sweet nose steers you in on direction while the spicy palate take you on another path. With the spicy qualities, and strong punch, this has the qualities of a mixer. And this all comes at an extremely affordable price. A surprisingly good bourbon. [86/100][[$30][Tasted: 2/28/25]

It's been over two years since I've reviewed this bourbon (9/6/23), and I'm surprised that it's only been once. I've always viewed OGD 114 as a value high-proof bourbon. The most noticeable element on the nose is leather, along with caramel, light pomander, and vanilla. There is glycerin on the palate, in addition to some oakiness. The finish is a little woody and nondescript; but the overarching aspect is its smoothness: the 114 proof is very well integrated. Old Grand-Dad 114 is a bourbon that you can not only enjoy neat, but also not feel badly about using it in a cocktail (in fact the high proof makes it great for cocktails). OGD 114 ranks very high on the value scale, as it can be found for ~$30. Would I buy it again? 100%. 4.0 on the Distiller scale. Note that this bourbon was tasted following a Four Roses Single Barrel and a Balcones True Blue Cask Strength--both of which are higher-end, more complex whiskies. Yet the the OGD didn't come across as "inferior" or as having any hard edges. It's merely a little less complex.

Cracked open to try with @Looneyhead not beacuse i was saving it for a special occasion but because, i forgot about it. Tried neat. Im trying to let it open up to my nares because it was initially just ETOH. After about 10 mnutes, i re-sniff, swirl, swirl, swirl and smell again. Lets try again. N the nares it did indeed open up with still strong ETOH but if you smell behinf the strong ETOH you get notes of slight vanilla, lots of burning nasal hairs, slight caramel wood, cherry, apricot, pear, clove, spearmint, soy sauce. Palate is initially hot but again, it opens up and is warm with notes of vanilla, caramel, minimal cocoa, clove, slight fruit, and high spearmint

I'm giving this 4 stars, not because it's a 4 star sipping bourbon, but because it finally ended my quest to find the perfect bourbon to mix with Coke. I have experimented with many: Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Buffalo Trace, 4 Roses (Yellow label), Redneck Riviera, Benchmark, 10 High, to name but a few. The verdicts on the above mentioned Bourbons ranged from delicious to literally ruining the Coke so badly that it was no longer drinkable. Using Old Grand Dad to mix with Coke allows me to taste both the Coke AND the bourbon in perfect harmony.

NEAT: aroma of vanilla, caramel, with a hint of tobacco. Moderate alcohol smell. Moderate burn up front but once it wears off it opens up to some cherries and chocolate. Leather and tobacco in the finish and aftertaste with some mild sweetness. Im sure its better when toned down with a cube, but even neat is good. Yes its a little harsh at the front, but it finishes in a nice smooth taste. Good budget bourbon.