*A note: While the Wilderness Whiskey Women prioritize sharing our reviews and experiences for others, this review of Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon is for me and my grandfather. That doesn’t mean, however, that you aren’t welcome here. Just like WWW’s mission, we both loved nothing more than to share a story, a laugh, and a generous pour of whiskey.
Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon
“Bottled in Bond in accordance with Old Grand-Dad himself (and the US Government).” Just like the back of the bottle reads, my own grandfather liked to do most everything himself, though often in staunch resistance to the US Government. A lifelong Scotch drinker, Morris did appreciate a good whiskey, which prompted me to step in and take the review reigns from Summer for this one.
Created by Raymond B. Hayden and named after his own grandfather, Meredith Basil Hayden, Sr., this whiskey stands for intergenerational appreciation of a good pour and deep conversation, all the touchpoints integral to my relationship with my grandfather. The history, flavor, and experience are symbiotically connected to my own memories and bring up a nostalgia I hope you’ll connect to, as well.
Old Grand-Dad Bonded Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
It’s not hard to spot this bottle of Old Grand-Dad with a portrait of Meredith Basil Hayden Sr. featured on every label, no matter the batch. The bright orange background with a forest green outline also helps distinguish the bottle.
This whiskey has been produced in Kentucky since 1840 when Hayden’s first distillery was founded. Compared to its more well-known and expensive brand, Basil Hayden’s, Old Grand-Dad does what its name implies: it’s old-school, resilient, and withstands the test of time as a bottle of whiskey the average consumer can both afford and appreciate.
While I never shared a bottle of Old Grand-Dad with my grandfather, he loved anything with a clever name, especially when it related to him. Separated by 73 years, my father recounts that there were never more kindred souls on this earth than me and my grandfather. We enjoyed all of the same things, thought the same way, and loved nothing more than to spend hours in a room together reading, inventing, talking, and coming up with deeply involved pranks to play on the rest of our family. As I got older, we shared stories and bottles of whiskey in his carefully curated library.
It was just he and I on the planet, even when surrounded by others. That’s how this bottle should be enjoyed: over good conversation with someone you love, trust, and who doesn’t get caught up in the status of top-shelf shit. We want anything that summons a great story.
Tasting Notes
If we did share a bottle of Old Grand-Dad, my grandfather would undoubtedly repeat the phrase, over and over again: “Hey, who you calling old?” Giggles would ensue, genuinely from us both, from both the buzz and our appreciation of a good turn of phrase. He would snap his lips at the tanginess I get when I taste this spirit. He would chew it to reactivate the sweet flavors brought to the surface by the spice calling “standing-on-end” taste buds to attention.
To me, Old Grand-Dad is as smooth as an evening conversation about baseball and literature, as warm and spicy as a rug burn practicing my softball slide across the shag carpet, and as sweet as a memory he lost long ago. The intensity hits you quickly and then tingles away, just like the memories my grandfather lost through his battle with dementia.
Our Scores
Drinkability: 3.8
Intensity: 3.7
Personal Preference: 3.5
Availability: 5
Overall: 4
*Shared Experience: 5
Final Thoughts
In Travels with Charley, John Steinbeck recounts his adventure across the US, stocked with a truck full of Old Grand-Dad, offering “a dollop” to those he meets. Nothing encompasses who my grandfather was, and who I am, more than this line. If it was good enough for Steinbeck, and former President Harry S. Truman, it’s certainly good enough for me.
Happy Exploring!
Jesse E-H
What a beautiful tribute to grandpa/poppa!