Whiskey Wednesday with Brian: Old Grand-Dad 114

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much of good whiskey is barely enough.”
– Mark Twain

Two things I collect are whiskey and bobbleheads.  I have a pretty good collection of both.  While I won’t be showcasing my inner nerd and showing my bobbleheads, I will be sharing with you some recommendations from my whiskey collection.

Old Grand-Dad 114 – This bourbon is easy to find, affordable and tastes great.  OGD is not common for most people to have at their home bar unless bourbon is an integral part of their collection.  Old Grand-Dad 114 is not going to be your daily drink of choice.  I find that it is a nice one to sip while relaxing on a Sunday evening.

Old Grand-Dad was first bottled in 1882.  During prohibition, it was permitted to be prescribed as medicine.  So anytime you drink this one, just know that you are doing it to keep your mind and body healthy!  The Old Grand-Dad 114 is heavier on the rye mash vs. a wheated bourbon (we can get into that another time).  It is now distilled at the Jim Beam plant in Kentucky.

I’m not extremely good at picking out flavors, but I can hold my own in most cases finding some of the different flavors in this one.  Some oak, some sort of fruit and a little vanilla.  Before buying the bourbon, I read some reviews.  One guy described the taste as “horse saddle”?!?  What is that?  When is the last time that guy was licking a horse saddle?  I obviously don’t have the same taste buds as that guy!

Some things I do when trying a bourbon for the first time:
1.  Take a smell and a small sip right after the pour.  This lets you understand the bourbon right out of the bottle.
2.  Let it sit for a couple minutes in the glass.  The air will open up the flavors and it should change the taste from your initial sip.
3.  You can add a drop of water to open it up or change the flavor a little more.
4.  Ice.  I rarely use it when I’m sipping a whiskey or bourbon.  People say ice adds to the flavor.  Try it out if you think you need it.  I feel that ice waters the drink down.  If I wanted ice in my drink I would order a Pina Colada with an umbrella in it…

Overall, if you are just starting out drinking bourbon, you may not want to start with this one.  It is intense from the first sniff!  Please be advised, ladies especially, drinking this will most likely add hair to your chest!

-Brian