Why Old Grand-Dad Is the Best Bourbon Pick for $20

Stalk the cabinets and wells at your favourite bar, and also you’ll seemingly see a well-recognized, orange-labeled bourbon staring again at you.

Old Grand-Dad isn’t new. In reality, it’s very outdated, because it debuted in 1882. But over the previous decade, it’s skilled a renaissance led primarily by bartenders. They’ve enlisted this retro bourbon in every single place from high-end cocktail bars to lovable dives.

Old Grand-Dad, or OGD because it’s affectionately identified, was created by Raymond B. Hayden. It was named for his grandfather, Basil Hayden Sr., whose visage seems on the label. The bourbon is a part of the Beam portfolio, sports activities a high-rye mash invoice, and is offered in a number of expressions. The entry-level, 80-proof whiskey is an approachable and inexpensive introduction to the model, accessible for about $20.

The 100-proof, bottled-in-bond bourbon and OGD 114 expressions flip up the efficiency and supply extra developed flavors. Yet, they nonetheless retail at round $25 and $35, respectively. That’s a variety of bourbon for not some huge cash.

Why Bartenders love Old Grand-Dad

“OGD is a workhorse with great nuance and loads of spice and richness,” says Tristan Brunel, head of bars at The Ned Nomad in New York City. He credit its excessive rye content material and says that the 100-proof expression is “perfect for a whiskey-based cocktail, as it can stand up to citrus, sugar, or other modifiers. That being said, it is also one of my favorite American whiskeys to enjoy alongside a beer or simply on its own, as it is equally delightful to sip on as it is to mix with.”

Joe Shirghio, beverage director of the group behind a handful of Dallas ideas that embody Bowen House, Mike’s Gemini Twinand St. Martin’s Wine Bistroshares a number of expressions of Old Grand-Dad. The 100-proof and 114-proof bottlings are favorites. He retains the 80-proof within the properly, as he finds it a flexible possibility that provides high quality at a pleasant worth level.

Old Grand-Dad is among the many bottlings referred to as a “bartender’s handshake,” much like Mellow Corn or Fernet-Branca. It’s ordered typically and customarily revered by trade professionals.

“My eyes light up when I go to a bar I’ve never been to and see it on the shelf,” says Shirghio. He likes to drink it straight, normally with a beer. However, he says it’s sought more and more by shoppers, who ask for it by identify.

“When the 16-year got here out, I believed it will be a fairly onerous push, however individuals had been like, ‘Wow, that’s the brand new Old Grand-Dad,’” says Shirghio.

Old Grand-Dad vs. Basil Hayden

Dive deep sufficient down the OGD rabbit gap, and also you’ll discover whiskey heads and well-meaning conspiracy theorists who keep that it’s basically the identical juice because the pricier Basil Hayden. That principle is grounded in actuality. Both bourbons function the identical high-rye mash invoice, but it surely would not inform the total story.

Basil Hayden was launched in 1992 by famed distiller Booker Noe. It was a part of Jim Beam’s Small Batch assortment, supposed to supply a softer, subtler ingesting expertise than different merchandise available on the market. The flagship expression is 80 proof and doesn’t carry an age assertion. Old Grand-Dad is bottled at a number of proofs, from 80 to 114. Two expressions — the brand new seven-year-old bottled-in-bond and the 16-year-old — have an age assertion. The others don’t.

Old Grand-Dad and Basil Hayden are aged in several barrels for various lengths of time, and so they’re purposely produced with completely different taste profiles in thoughts. Basil Hayden exhibits off extra candy oak and dried fruit, whereas Old Grand-Dad has a spicier nostril, physique, and end.

“I see OGD as Basil’s younger sibling,” says Brunel, who finds it a bit punchier and barely much less polished than Basil Hayden. “I see this as a plus because it works better in cocktails, comes in at a much lower price point, and packs a ton of flavor for the money.” But it nonetheless has the spine that Basil Hayden followers know and love.

Shirghio maintains that Old Grand-Dad has a bit extra character than Basil Hayden and displays extra of that rye spice. “Someone who is a fan of Basil Hayden but looking for something with a little more to it, will really like Old Grand-Dad,” he says.

Bartenders additionally favor OGD as a result of it’s a stepping-off level to discover larger proofs in different expressions.

“Basil Hayden is only 80 proof, while OGD has the bonded and the 114,” says Shirghio. “The 114 is, bang for your buck, probably the best whiskey I can think of at just $35 or $40. It really blows people away.”

Bourbon’s collective recognition has skyrocketed over the previous twenty years, and sure manufacturers have raised costs in sort. It’s good to know that Old Grand-Dad — for now, at the very least — remains to be accessible at a good worth.

The subsequent time you see OGD, maintain it easy. Follow your bartender’s lead by ordering a shot and a beer. The combo works, even for those who’re not coming off a 10-hour shift behind the bar.