Old Grand-Dad bourbon whiskey is an iconic brand. After reviewing a new release of the Old Grand Dad Bourbon, especially a 16-year-old one, I wanted to dive into this historic brand. You can watch our review of Old Grand-Dad 16-year-old bourbon here.

While reading this story, you must realize that Basil Hayden is the Grand-Dad pictured on the Old Grand-Dad bottle. That is why this story is a combination of distilling families, multiple distilleries, and many brands of bourbon whiskey.

Heydons now Hayden

When England became more hostile towards Catholics, the Haydons later changed to Hayden, sought religious freedom. The family moved to the Virginia Colonies around 1660. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Maryland. Maryland was more welcoming to followers of the Catholic religion than Virginia was during that time period.

Basil Hayden

Basil Hayden was born in the mid-1700s while living in St. Johns County in Maryland. According to historical records, he worked in the mercantile trades and possibly traded goods to the colonial army.

After the war for independence, Basil Hayden was the leader of a group that traveled to Kentucky. They settled in Nelson County, near the city of Bardstown. The group moved and was motivated by finding fertile farmland, and Basil cleared an area for planting. Around this time, he was also distilling, as there was some information that his whiskey contained more rye than was typically used. Basil was also a philanthropist who donated land to build the first Catholic church in Kentucky and the first West of the Allegheny Mountains.

Raymond Bishop Hayden

Raymond was the grandson of Basil Hayden and succeeded his father, Lewis, in the family distilling business. Basil honestly had the distilling business in his blood as his mother, Polly, was a member of the Dant family, also known for its distilling. Raymond inherited a small distilling operation and was primarily a farmer. Raymond continued to farm, distill, and make money along the way. His idea was to distill on a larger scale, and he looked for partners to build a larger-scale operation.

1882 Raymond built the R.B. Hayden & Company Distillery in Hobbs Station. One of his business partners was a former federal revenuer. Their distilling operation could mash 100 barrels per day. This distillery created the Old Grand Dad brand in honor of Raymond’s grandfather, and that tradition continues today. The image on the bottle has changed several times, and there is probably a good chance that the image is not an exact rendering of Basil Hayden.

Old Grand-Dad Distillery

Raymond died three years after starting the Hobbs Station Distillery. 1899, the Wathen family purchased the distillery. The Wathen’s had a long tradition of distilling and, after the purchase, changed the name of the Hobbs Station Distillery to the Old Grand Dad Distillery. After being destroyed by fire, the distillery was quickly rebuilt and began distilling again. The new distillery operated until the beginning of national prohibition. The remaining whiskey stock was removed and sold as medicinal spirits.

Old Grand-Dad 16-year-old Bourbon

The Old Grand-Dad brand continued to be sold after prohibition and survived through multiple owners. Today, Jim Beam makes and distributes Old Grand-Dad and a small-batch bourbon named after Basil Hayden himself. R. B. Hayden would be proud of the lasting memory of his Old Grand-Dad. The story is long, but the whiskey is iconic. Please learn more about this special release of Old Grand-Dad 16-year-old bourbon whiskey by watching our review HERE.

Bottle of Old Grand-Dad 16-year-old bourbon. 100 proof high rye mash bill.