Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey (80 proof)

Banana, cherry, smooth, fresh oak

Pass on this one

Straightforward, no nonsense rye squeezin’s that you must try/buy when given the opportunity. I solid rye baseline at rock bottom prices. OO Rye is sassy. Oak and grain are showcased in a way that is humble and hardworking. The nose is sweet and unassuming. I’ve never seen a bottle being sold for more than $16 but it beats out bottles priced at 2-3x that.

I noticed that at my local liquor store that old overholt is now sold at 86 proof (they also have a bottled in bond) instead of the old 80 proof so I figured I might as well review the last of what I had left in my old 80 proof bottle. I really never thought of this rye whiskey as a sipping whiskey. It could have been the price or the lack of glowing reviews but it has always done well in cocktails. After trying it neat, it's not so much that it's bad on it's own, just nothing exciting. The nose is actually pretty intriguing considering this is a 3yr old rye. There is no ethanol harshness, just rye, oak, vanilla and lemon peel. Unfortunately for how solid the nose is, the palate disappoints. It's very watery and thin. The spice and rye make an appearance but it's nowhere near strong enough to compensate for the thin and watery feel. The finish is also quick and gone in a flash with a light burn and a hint of the spice. So I wouldnt say this is bad, the nose is really quite decent, it just doesnt stick the landing. I'm actually surprised it's as good as it is in cocktails since it's so watery but in either case for the absurdly low price it's not a bad everyday sipper if you aren't looking for anything special. Although for an extra 5 or so bucks you can upgrade to the bottled in bond which is superior. I'm interested to see how much better the 86 proof is to the 80 proof. I would have to assume it loses the watery feel and I can see that one being a great value sipper.

Classic rye smoke/spice, vanilla sweetness maybe a bit of candieness. That’s a word, it means like candy. Good bite to it too. Maybe some black cherry? Kinda artificial though. Warm finish, not super long. That’s the candy probably.