Today’s marketplace is flush with whiskey brands, old and new, but what is your favorite “Old” Whiskey?. This list includes Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey, and Rye Whiskey. It is an engaging and fun exercise to review some Old whiskey.
Nine of my favorites
- Old Grand-Dad is a brand still in production today. Distiller Raymond Hayden named his bourbon in honor of his famous grandfather, Basil Hayden. Old Grand-Dad was President Harry Truman’s favorite drink, and he enjoyed it on the rocks.
- Old Crow is yet another historical brand still in production today. You can see the abandoned Old Crow Distillery when visiting Glenns Creek Distillery, which occupies a small property section of the original distillery. Popular culture says that two civil war generals Jubal Early on the Confederate side and Ulysses S. Grant on the union side, drank Old Crow as their bourbon of choice.
- Old Forester is a flagship brand for the Brown Forman Company. It came to market in 1873 and was one of the first bourbons bottled and sealed to protect its quality. Until prohibition began, Old Forester was the bestselling and leading brand of the Brown Forman company. Today, you can purchase Old Forester in multiple versions, including a Statesman bottle inspired by the movie Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
- Old Bardstown is a quality bourbon well-liked by locals in Kentucky. There is a 90 proof small batch bottle, a 100 proof bottled-in-bond version, and a 101 proof Estate Bottled Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Produced by the Willett Distillery in, you guessed it, Bardstown, Kentucky.
- Old Fitzgerald is another historic brand dating back to the 1870s. Old Fitzgerald is a bourbon brand that Pappy Van Winkle himself owned. During Van Winkles’s ownership, he amended the recipe to include wheat, which softened the bourbon. Heaven Hill Distillery now owns the brand and bottles it in multiple variations.
- Old No. 7 is otherwise known as Jack Daniels black label. Brown Forman purchased Jack Daniels in 1956, and it is now the largest selling whiskey in the United States. According to legend, friends buried a bottle of Old No. 7 with Frank. You can currently buy a bottle of Jack Daniels Sinatra Select, a tribute to the singer.
- Old Overholt is very possibly the oldest recorded whiskey brand in the United States. This Pennsylvania made rye whiskey began in 1810 and continues to be available today. Many believe Old Overholt was granted a medicinal license during prohibition because part-owner Andrew Mellon was Secretary of the Treasury during the Harding administration. History notes that famous gunfighter Doc Holliday and President John F. Kennedy were both drinkers of Old Overholt.
- Old Ezra 7 is an excellent offering from Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Kentucky. Originally sourced from Heaven Hill, this whiskey packs a lot of flavor at the barrel strength proof of 117. Even at that proof is has a smooth, mellow mouthfeel. Whiskey Advocate nominated it for one of the top 20 whiskies of 2019. Of course, it was number 7 on the list.
- Old Tub is a re-release of a historic brand for the Jim Beam company. In the 1890s, Old Tub was the best selling bourbon, and the Beam family named their distillery Old Tub. While some may wonder whether Old Tub is an attractive name, it referenced large regal mash tubs used by the distillery.
Another great post…love the historical legend preference references!