The other day, I opened a decanter bottle of Old Grand Dad and Matt and I tasted it. This bottle was made by National Distillers at the Old Taylor Distillery in the spring of 1963 and bottled in the fall of 1967. This Bourbon has a rich amber color and I suspect that it was aged on the top floors of the warehouse. It was also made before the maximum allowable barrel entry proof was raised to 125. It has a flavor that exceeds any four year old Bourbon of today. Here are our tasting notes.
Old Grand Dad Bottled-in-Bond
Proof: 100
Age: Four Years Old ( Spring 1963-Fall 1967)
Nose:
- Mike: Caramel, oranges, cherries, pepper and oak wood.
- Matt: Caramel, brown sugar, butterscotch, tobacco and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Caramel, oranges, cherries, pepper and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the orange and pepper are enhanced. Tasted with a pecan and the caramel is enhanced and a note of milk chocolate comes forward.
- Matt: Caramel, butterscotch, dates, green apples and oak wood. The dried cranberry added a note of toasted almonds. The pecan added a note of cappuccino and milk chocolate.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with oak wood, caramel and pepper. The dried cranberry added lingering cherry flavor to the finish. The pecan made the finish long with oak wood, caramel and milk chocolate.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood, caramel and cigar tobacco. The dried cranberry added a lingering note of toasted almonds. The pecan added milk chocolate to the finish.
I would pair this fine Bourbon with a My Father The Judge cigar. The rich vanilla and chocolate in the smoke would pair well with the caramel and chocolate in the Bourbon.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller