Old Tub Whiskey
An adage I’ve heard before is that whatever whiskey is in your glass today is probably better than the whiskey your granddad drank. It makes a lot of sense when you stop to think about it. Companies today often stay in business by keeping a consistent and recognizable taste profile for each of their whiskeys. There is a larger focus on quality control and necessity to adhere to distilling standards. Companies won’t bottle whatever juice came out of the barrel anymore; whiskey has to meet specific standards to live up to the brand companies have worked long and hard to establish. Old Tub Whiskey flirts the line between past and present. They manage to honor traditional whiskey distilling practices while balancing the stringent quality control standards of today.
Contrary to the adage, Old Tub Whiskey is both a whiskey your grandad might have drank and upholds a high standard of taste, consistency, and quality. One of the aspects that makes Old Tub unique is that it is unfiltered. Most whiskeys on the market today are either charcoal-filtered or chill-filtered. Old Tub skips this step, which leaves behind particles of wood, tannins, and other microscopic byproducts. “Drinking is good for you,” said no doctor ever…
When you pick up a bottle of an unfiltered whiskey, like Old Tub, and give it a closer look, you might not notice any difference. However, if you add a little cold water or ice, you will notice the whiskey becomes cloudy. What you see are the particles from aging in the barrel merging. Scientists, feel free to hop on to explain why.
Although Old Tub Whiskey is unfiltered, it has been poured through a screen to remove larger particles. You won’t have to worry about choking on a sliver of charred wood while drinking, something your granddad may have memories of.
Many whiskey enthusiasts believe unfiltered whiskeys, like Old Tub, have greater depth to their flavors. Some believe there are more woody notes present in an unfiltered whiskey, while others point to the different mouth feel of an unfiltered whiskey. Others argue that these claims are simply hogwash. Either way, unfiltered whiskeys are trending in 2022, so it’s worth trying and deciding for yourself.
James B. Beam Distilling Co.
Old Tub whiskey is distilled by James B. Beam Distilling Company in Clermont, Kentucky. James B. Beam is part of the Beam Suntory family of spirits. Beam Suntory is, of course, best known for Jim Beam Whiskey, which is the #1 selling bourbon in the U.S. You may of heard of it. If you haven’t, I hope living under a rock is at least peaceful.
Jim Beam’s origin story starts with Jacob Beam. He was a corn farmer who moved to Kentucky with a barrel of whiskey in search of more fertile farmland to increase his corn output. He found just what he was looking for in the foothills of Kentucky.
After a bumper crop year, Jacob used his excess corn to make a barrel of whiskey. While turning corn into whiskey was commonplace amongst farmers in the late 18th century, people enjoyed Old Jake’s whiskey a bit more than his competitors. His whiskey quickly became the favorite in Nelson and Washington Counties in Kentucky.
The popularity of Old Jake’s Whiskey led him to focus on distilling more whiskey. Eventually, Jacob’s sons joined the family distilling business. His son David was instrumental in modernizing the business during the early 19th century.
David helped open a new Beam distillation factory and created the Old Tub brand. His work began a distilling tradition that has held strong for eight generations. Oddly, we haven’t even talked about James Beam, whom the company would eventually be named after. James will have to wait since the tradition of Old Tub began with his father, David.
Today, Jim Beam distills several highly recognizable and appreciated bourbons including Basil Hayden’s, Booker’s, and Knob Creek. Although Old Tub isn’t the most recognizable brand in the family, it is a great budget option you should try while it is available.
Old Tub Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Old Tub Whiskey is a Bottled in Bond whiskey that sits at 100 proof and is aged for 4 years per the B-in-B standards. This spirit is distilled from a mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. Like most bourbon, it is aged in new American White Oak barrels. Due to our love of Bottled in Bond whiskeys, we were excited to give Old Tub a try.
The Old Tub webpage claims that it is a limited release, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find a bottle, at least right now… I’ve seen it at many different liquor stores. Before 2020, Old Tub was only available for purchase at the distillery in 375ml quantities. Today, you will find it in the 750ml bottle at your local liquor store.
Tasting Notes
On the nose, I picked up the aroma of vanilla and ethanol. I tried breathing through my mouth to pick up other scents, but the alcohol was overpowering. Alie also noted the strong alcohol smell, but also picked out a sweetness in the aroma before she went into a coughing fit from the spicy scent.
Alie remarked that the whiskey tasted like sugar and pear and finished on the dry side. She felt that the whiskey left a lingering sugary taste in her mouth, like she’d been sipping a sweet cocktail rather than a neat pour of whiskey.
I picked up hints of vanilla and oak in the taste. I also enjoyed the strong initial whiskey burn that faded away slowly. After enjoying a few sips, I started to understand what Alie meant by the fruit or pear notes. I caught occasional pome fruit flavors on my tongue. Overall, I found this to be similar to Jim Beam, but with a little more bite.
Our Ratings
Drinkability: 3.5
Intensity: 3.7
Personal Preference: 3.5
Beginner Friendly: 2.5
Availability: 4
Overall: 3.4
Final Thoughts
We found Old Tub to be an enjoyable bottle of whiskey. At 100 proof, it has a good flavor profile that balances the strong taste of ethanol and wood with hints of fruit and vanilla. Adding a little water reduced the ethanol flavor, but also made it hard to pick out the vanilla and sweet fruit notes. It seems for this whiskey, you have to take your spicy with your sweet.
We used Old Tub as the base in our Kentucky with a Kick Mule, which is a spicy whiskey mule. The Old Tub whiskey balanced out the heat from the spicy syrup and paired well with the ginger beer. You can find the recipe here if you want to give it a try.
In our opinion, Old Tub is an excellent cocktail mixer if it doesn’t catch your interest as a sipper. I would recommend grabbing a bottle if you see it on store shelves near you. With a limited-run whiskey, it is unclear when its production might cease. Maybe that’s how they drive their sales?
I can’t say it would replace Evan William B-in-B as our go-to daily drinker, but for $25 it was worth a try. Whether you love it or just like it, enjoying a bottle of Old Tub will take you back to the origins of an iconic whiskey brand. It is a pour we think you should sample on your whiskey journey, and if you can, maybe see what your granddad thinks.
Happy Exploring!
