Old Overholt Bonded Straight Rye Whiskey

Despite the fact that I love a good rye, I rarely keep an inexpensive bottle of decent rye around in my collection. Most of the ryes I've accumulated are premium. Sagamore Cask Strength and Tequila Finished, Knob Cask Strength, Alberta Cask Strength. So, maybe I should rephrase that. I don't keep a lot of regular strength rye around in the collection for mixing and general sipping when I want a rye that won't blow me out of the water. This, despite knowing there are plenty of decent ones in the 20-30$ range like Wild Turkey 101, Old Forester Rye, Overholt, and when they're on sale Russell's Reserve Rye and Woodford Reserve Rye (light in touch but delicious). If you'll notice, I left a big one out of that list: when it comes to the cheaper bonded ryes, I'm going to have to go with this one, the Overholt Bonded over Rittenhouse BiB, though I say that with the caveat I've only had one bottle of Rittenhouse and several of Overholt, Overholt Bonded, and Overholt 114. It's possible I have to taste Rittenhouse again, but the one time I picked it up, I was disappointed. I'd read so many reviews citing its strong flavor profile, its richness and robustness, but I found it bland. I had trouble, when drinking it on its own, teasing out aromas and flavors. It had me wondering if maybe, like a cola that sits too long, mine had gone flat. Even when I used it as a mixer, it was one of those that couldn't hold its own and the vermouth eclipsed it, the bitters eclipsed it. It didn't stand out. Overholt is one of those that, for my personal taste, I find serviceable as a sipper, but at a cost where I don't hesitate to use it in mixed drinks. It's not terribly complex: the nose is, surprise surprise, full of rye spice, with mingled vanilla, citrus and cherries with a yeasty note. The palate is almost straight cherry cola. It's almost as if you're having a whisky and coke without needing to add the coke, and let's face it, that's a good thing: if you're hitting your body with alcohol, you don't need to add all the high fructose corn syrup on top. The finish is peppery and rye-y, and if you're mixing it, it stands out and accentuates most drinks, like the manhattan, without overpowering. As I write this, I'm enjoying a Boulevardier with my wife, which if you're not familiar is essentially a negroni with rye instead of gin, and the Overholt adds a nice cherry tart sweetness and citrus notes to counterbalance the herbal bitterness of the campari. After, of course, I poured a slight Overholt straight so I could write this tasting, as this is my last heading into "dry July," to give my body a break. So yes, feel free to disagree about the whole Overholt Bonded vs. Rittenhouse BiB thing. Given the cost of both, I'm more than willing to try Rittenhouse again in the future, but that's only if I don't see a bottle of Sazerac sitting next to it on the shelf. Actually, if Sazerac is there, I'm not even glancing at either of these. But them's the breaks. The one thing I am kind of sad I missed out on was that had an Overholt 11 Year for a while on sale around here, but that was limited edition and is, alas, gone. But hey, them is also the breaks.

New version. Non-chill filtered. Says "Bottled in Bond" on the label. Red cap. N: Wood, caramel, vanilla. Ethanol. Each of those notes develops some over time. The wood moves toward cedar, wood polish, and leather. The caramel is somewhat nuanced with a bit of bread pudding. The vanilla is in the bread pudding. Rye notes of mint and menthol arrive fashionably late. Hints of cinnamon too. The ethanol just moves the glass to your lips - lets be real here. P: Rich and woody. Rye pushes forward with mint, menthol, and an earthy eucalyptus sort of thing. But good balance with the warm caramel - like you'd find on an ice cream sundae (hello vanilla!). Wood cinnamon spice starts to get assertive after a few sips and lingers into the finish. Sweet and heady. Rich like a birthday cake, but made naturally dark by the grain (no added chocolate here). Spice gets hot as it sits on your tongue - still cinnamon, but approaching spicy pepper territory. Mild tannins show up in the palate late, but noticeably. And then the burn lingers... Excellent for a super cheap BIB rye. Easily competes with rye bottles twice its price (or more). Should be a go-to bottle for quiet weeknight sipping or for cocktails. It lacks some sophistication, but who cares at this price. It's damn tasty. One for the rotation.

Rittenhouse is my goto rye for Manhattans or Old Fashioneds. I picked this up more out of curiosity to see if it could overtake my rye staple. Maybe I have been blinded or too far down the path with my goto cocktail rye. Is there something better (and cheaper)? The aromas are light and faint for a rye. There is the expected rye and/or pumpernickel notes. Bread dough with a yeasty quality. Cola with lemon, browned bananas, vanilla and sugar glazing. The body is lightweight and brings forth lightweight flavor. A spicy, black peppery bite. Diluted vanilla, brown sugar, oak. Very small and limited. An oak and cola finish with a bit of char with a bitter out of tune bitterness. An affordable rye/whiskey, and delivers exactly what it was intended (for the price). Holds up as a mixer because of its alcohol strength. Use as a mixer as the flavors are sparse and will need to be complimented with additional components (vermouth for instance). For a few dollars more, Rittenhouse is much better. Deeper and richer flavors which really enhances and makes the Manhattan or Old Fashioned. Will definitely look past this future forward. [$19][83/100][Tasted: 11/27/20]

Never seen this before in GA, so it was a definite “must buy” when I stumbled upon it in a NC ABC Store while on vacation. Nose is slightly herbal and spicy, but predominantly “bourbony.” I don’t know the mashbill on this one, but I’d say it’s barely legal. It’s nice and warm and sweet, just like a good bonded whiskey should be. Not too harsh at all, but the higher proof is certainly noticeable. The same spiced bourbon flavor is present on the palate. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it certainly satisfies. The flavors start to open up when you add some ice or chill it slightly. The finish is moderate and agreeable. I agree with others that this would make a phenomenal old fashioned. For the price, I’d buy it often (if it were available in my dangumblasted state.) My only regret is that the tightly sealed, half-open bottle somehow leaked during transit, so now I’m short a couple ounces of fine rye whiskey and I’m left with a pair of booze-scented Levi’s and a coy expression on my face as I shake my fist at the sky and ponder the mysteries of life, happiness and freewill. Stay zesty, my friends.

I am revisiting this side-by-side with Hochstadter's Vatted Rye - another 100 proof rye within the same price range. By comparison, the Hochstadter's is absolutely spicier: it has much more of a spicy Pennsylvania rye character than the Old Overholt - but the Overholt excels in approachability. Creamier and more bourbon-like (to be expected with a 51% rye, high corn mash from Jim Beam designed to be a transitional rye). To be clear, the Hochstadter's is still not as spicy as Dad's Hat. It has a mild sweet cream creaminess. By comparison, the Overholt has just a bit more of everything. A sip is mildly sweet with soft notes of brown sugar, oak, campfire, marshmallow, creme brulee and black tea. It's hard to do better for less than $30, let alone $20ish

First couple sips are hot and biting. It does calm down to reveal an almost creamy sweetness with that nutty taste others have mentioned. Not so sure I like that nuttiness in my rye, but it's unique and grew on me a bit. The rye profile itself is a very pleasant one. I'll come back to sip this again, but most of the bottle will be for [very good] mixers. 2nd go-around makes me less afraid of using this as a sipper. I mean, why not? There's good flavors in there if you're patient. I'm curious to put this head to head with Rittenhouse.