Like a cranky centenarian, Old Grand-Dad 114 is not messing around and has no time for your nonsense. Time and a well-crafted batch of ingredients have turned Old Grand-Dad into a spicy, hot-tempered old coot that's not playing games. The similarities to a crotchety old man are not the only reason for the name of this hooch. In this case, Old Grand-Dad refers to none other than Basil Hayden who famously lived to be 114 years old and had 114 grandchildren. One of those progeny, Colonel R.B. Hayden, distilled this label in honor of his grandfather, aging his bourbon for 114 years and bottling it at a bold 114 proof. It is possible that time has caused some of the details I present here to have been exaggerated (or completely made up). At 114 proof, it's no surprise that there is a strong ethanol presence on the nose, but that is underpinned by luxurious cherries and faint notes of cinnamon and chocolate. The heat does kick in pretty quick on the palate, but before it arrives I am greeted with a rich and oily mouthfeel and the chocolate from the nose becomes a dominating flavor and the cherries show themselves to be candied and delicious. The heat is a red hot cinnamon one, but it is quite nice. The finish is long, radiating warmth throughout my chest and leaving behind a lingering candied sweetness, oak, and leather. I adjusted quickly to the proof and could see myself sipping this one. At the same time, cold weather is here and I am getting over my first illness of the season so I look forward to seeing how this plays in a hot toddy with some honey and lemon.