Review: Old Grand Dad Bonded & 114 Bourbon Whiskey

I'll be honest, I'd seen Old Grand Dad Bourbon on the shelf several times and never gave it a second look. The bright orange label led me to believe this was an old, cheap, tired bourbon. I couldn't have been more wrong. What caught my eye was their offering at 114 proof which is bottled quite differently than their lower proof offerings. OGD 114 has much more of a premium look to it, so apparently judging a book by it's cover was my thing. While I can't say I'm beyond this nasty habit, my experience with OGD has definitely helped to reduce my bottling prejudice.

The whiskey is named after Basil Hayden and was created by his grandson, Raymond - hence the Old Grand Dad name. It is currently offered at 3 proofs - 80, 100 and 114. The 80 proof version was 86, but in 2013 it was reduced. (I'm sure the people at Maker's Mark wish their change had gone as quietly as this one - though I'm guessing the bourbon community would gladly take an 80 proof Maker's if versions were also offered at 100 and 114 proof.) 

Today I'm covering the Bonded & 114 versions... I left out the 80 proof version because it wasn't all that good when I tried it at 86, so cutting the ABV probably didn't do it any favors.

Old Grand Dad Bonded - Tasting Notes

Old Grand Dad Bonded & Old Grand Dad 114

Nose: Vanilla, butter, caramel with just a hint of spice in the background. Really soft and pleasant, not overly powerful. This is something a first-time bourbon drinker might like.

Palate: Buttery, citrus-y, and silky on the entry with some mouth watering brown sugar sweetness as well. After a beat some of the spice notes show up.

Finish: Light vanilla and spice come and go quickly. Following this a light oak presence shows up.

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Price: $20

Old Grand Dad Bonded Rating: 7.9/10

Old Grand Dad 114 - Tasting Notes

Nose: All spice is prominent at first, then sweet corn and vanilla show up.

Palate: A thick mouthfeel that starts off very sweet. Strong caramel and brown sugar flavors eventually give way to a peppery spice.

Finish: A tiny bit of sweetness but spice, oak and mint are the key players in the third act which hangs around for a solid couple of minutes.

Proof: 114 (57% ABV)
Price: $23

Old Grand Dad 114 Rating: 8.7/10

Two solid bourbons here. OGD Bonded isn't overly complex so it graded a little lower as a result, but by no means is it a bad pour. Put it in front of me neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail and you'll be met with a "thank you" and a smile every time. The Old Grand Dad 114 just takes it to another level though. A friend of mine tried it blind and said it was like there was a party in his mouth... the higher proof and prominent flavors make it hard for me to argue. This might just be my favorite bourbon under $25 and is definitely something I'd recommend as a top value. Turns out judging a bourbon by it's bottle might not be the best tactic...