Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey (114 Proof)

Neat lowball. Nicely cut. A little harsh on the nose but nice sweet oaky aroma. Nice bite on the tongue. Spicy stone fruit finish. Only a little astringency

Drinks well for proof. Great caramel, mixed with cherry notes. Rye spice that lingers for a warm finish.

Very rarely do you get to find a rye whiskey that hits all the right marks, at least on the outside. Super affordable, relatively easy to find, cask strength, good age (rye needs no more than 7 years), reputable distillery/region, and a good mash bill, which is the only unknown out of the whole list. I'm hoping this isn't so amazing that it replaces my other all-around rye whiskeys, because I don't remember where I bought it, and the world would sooner implode than good whiskey ever being sold in Ohio. The one thing that actually is a turn-off from the beginning is the amber bottle; an amber bottle is to prevent sunlight from reaching the contents, but also greatly takes away from the color appreciation of said contents. Plus, there is nothing on the label that is even remotely pleasing to the eye, unless the goal was to emulate a whiskey bottle from 100+ years ago, in which case I would say this nails it. Really a fantastic chestnut color, full of a rich, burnt sienna hue in the center while still staying lighter and straw-hued around the edges. I have to guess with this mash bill, unfortunately, but the scent is telling me they did this proper, and it's likely 90%+ rye grain. There's a decent oak note, really focusing on the wood itself, but there's some light-to-moderate caramel from any charring used. The rye grain nose is mostly hot and vegetal, with all the classic notes of cinnamon, cut grass, and baking spices coming together to perform as the star of the show via an equal ensemble. Upon tasting, I immediately discovered that I have several cuts on the inside of my gums. After effectively disinfecting that, I notice the initial flavors are rye grain, but much less pronounced than was on the nose. The grain tastes much fresher here, unusual for 4 years of age, as is the only very slight gum penetration from the spice flavor itself. As I continue to dissect it, a disturbing note I can only half-heartedly assume is charcoal kills any lingering spice, turning this into a fungal and earthy finish. I once had a rye whiskey that was finished in peated scotch barrels (which was a very fun finishing idea), and not even that was as earthy as this is. This really can be two different things entirely, but can only occur at the same time; decent, practical American rye whiskey notes up front, and then a spiced mushroom broth on the finish that would work with certain European whiskey lovers. To me, this really isn't enjoyable, and reminds me of a similar flavor I've gotten from a Michter's single barrel rye that I still resent (mostly based on cost) and have no idea how it came about. Sure, this has plenty of uses in certain cocktails (talk about a delicious Sazerac), but to have to remember and perhaps even label this bottle to only have these uses and flavor profiles does not a good rye whiskey make. With the cost and barrel strength factor to this, though, I think it's still worth picking up to see the viewpoint and creative ideas other distilleries have for affordable American rye whiskeys.

Pleasant rye, heavy caramel and nice rich fruit. Cherry?

On the nose you get cinnamon, dried apricots, pepper spice. The palate starts off with some faint chocolate notes, lots of heat and alcohol, along with some grain bread. The finish is medium to short in length, which is surprising given how hot it was on the palate. Overall a very nice rye that is perfect for a winter night around the fire pit.

Drakes house for rue blind tasting. Very strong and hard to drink

Perusing through my local, I saw this black topped, gold label Old Overholt. Normally for my rye mixer, I reach for Rittenhouse. So, for a curiosity and mixology experiment, I figured it would be interesting to see what other mixers are like. What Rittenhouse has, that I like, is the BiB which holds its own in the drink. This being at 114, this can only be a win-win experience. At first, a whiff of dill and acetone or magic marker. Soft, considering the high proof. Settling in, the nose sweetens and becomes more caramelized. Toffee, Vanilla, root beer and maraschino cherries. Texturally, creamy and velvety. And then the bite. But the bite is brief. Vanilla, dill, caramel and very little more in the flavor department, but what little variety there is, the flavors hold their own. A short, sweet finish with a touch of wood. A nice, hardy rye that does not seem as potent as delivered. The lack of palate dimension or dynamic provides a stable base as a mixer. Given a choice between Rittenhouse or Old Overholt 114, I would first reach for Rittenhouse just because of the greater comparative profile depth. But, this is a quality stand in. [$30][85/100][Tasted: 11/20/21]

Super long finish!

While I'm sure the "Old" and "114" had me primed to think of Old Granddad 114, at my first sip I was sure there was more than just a name similarity to OGD 114. Turns out this is made by Beam/OGD and this tastes exactly like you would expect if you took OGD and increased the already high rye content in the mash bill. It's a little rough like OGD, and the Beam dusty peanut is there particularly on the finish. Some rye spice, and this seems sweeter than OGD, maybe a little of the fruity sweetness from the rye. Not bad at all for 30 bucks.

This is the last bottle in my collection that I currently have open that I haven't "tasted" here, and I figured I should write a review before opening something else (that something else here being the Laphroaig Cairdeas 2021 Pedro Ximenez I'll be cracking during the Eagles-Lions Halloween game this Sunday with my dad and my brother-in-law). Of course, saying I haven't tasted this is disingenuous because the bottle I have open is actually the second of Overholt 114 I've consumed. I just wasn't a member of this forum when I had the first bottle open, so I didn't provide my thoughts. Obviously, if this is my second bottle, I either bought two or went back to dip into the well again, and I'll just be clear, it's the later. In fact, when I went back to buy more, I bought four bottles. Word on the street is that this is limited edition, and since it's $30, my assessment was that it was good enough to stock up on. Also, since it's only available in PA and OH, it feels kind of like a special event, a once in a while happening only in my region (which naturally means they're probably going to make it a part of their core lineup going forward, right?...honestly I wouldn't complain if that were the case). Old Overholt is my favorite of the "Old" names. Old Tub sounds like something prohibitionists made gin inside. Old Forester is what I have in my garage, but Old Overholt sounds like that grizzled crusty guy who sits at the end of the bar by himself who never says a word but who you're sure has seen a thing or two in his time. The inevitable comparison given the proof here and the "Old" brand name is Old Grand-dad 114, which is the only other budget barrel proof whisky I can think of. But Old Grand-dad is a bourbon, so the comparison is merely in proof and price, and since I've never had Old Grand-dad, I can't speak to whether it's any good (though my understanding is that it's decent for the price). That's the case here, too, with Old Overholt 114. If you're looking for a decent tasting rye with some pow behind it as far as proof goes and you're not planning to taste it against a Single Barrel Cask Strength Knob, this one is going to deliver. It's rich on the nose with fairly standard rye aromas, veering toward the spicy side of rye rather than a sweeter or floral profile, though there's maybe the slightest hint of cheery in there. The palate follows the nose and doesn't really expand or grow in complexity, which is all right with me. For the price, I wasn't expecting it. It's got a nice satisfying medium finish that mixes in a flavor that almost reminds me of peanut butter on whole wheat and actually found me saying the first time I sipped it, "Oh, yeah, that's nice." For a 114, this is relatively smooth, not too much alcohol bite. The expert review here says there's something missing in the middle, which I think I'm seeing here also described as thin, and I get that, but I generally think you'll only really miss whatever it is that's missing if you start thinking about other cask strength ryes that are better crafted/longer aged but those also cost $30 more. My verdict here is a simple one: for the price, I really like this, which is why I still have 3 bottles of this in my collection to look forward to.