I have always said that Old Grand Dad Bourbon is the best whiskey that Jim Beam Distillery makes. I love this recipe and the Bottled-in-Bond is one of my go-to Bourbons. I love the 114 expression of Old Grand Dad so I was excited when they came out with a single barrel release. I managed to get a bottle and Matt and I sat down to taste it and loved it so much that we decided to make it our Whiskey Of The Month for August 2026. Here are our tasting notes.
Old Grand Dad 114 Single Barrel Bourbon
Proof: 114
Age: Seven Years Old
Nose:
- Mike: Caramel, vanilla, apples, wild berries, pepper spice and oak wood.
- Matt: Caramel, mocha, peanuts, cinnamon and oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Caramel, vanilla, apples, blackberries, raspberries, white pepper and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the vanilla and wild berries are enhanced. Tasted with a pecan and chocolate and cinnamon spice join the party.
- Matt: Caramel, orange zest, coffee, cinnamon and oak wood. The dried cranberry enhanced the coffee and added peanut to the flavor. The pecan made the spice a black pepper.
Finish:
- Mike: Long with oak wood, caramel, blackberry and white pepper. The dried cranberry made it very long with oak wood, vanilla, blackberry and raspberry. The pecan made the finish very long with oak wood, chocolate and cinnamon.
- Matt: Medium long with oak wood and cinnamon spice. The dried cranberry made the finish long with oak wood, peanuts and cinnamon spice. The pecan made the finish very long with oak wood and black pepper.
I would pair this fine Bourbon with a fine cigar. I would reach for a Padron 1964 Anniversary Series cigar, with its rich vanilla and chocolate in the smoke.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller