Old Overholt Bonded Rye

A little background

Despite this fairly new rye not exactly being new…long complicated history aside I am glad that Beam decided to bring back Old Overholt Bonded Rye in 2018 because we needed more quality rye whiskey on the market at an affordable price.  With this begin bottled in bond, we know it’s at least four years old and bottled at 100 Proof. Retail price of around $25.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn.)

Color

Medium Copper

Nose

Bananas Foster, nutmeg, cinnamon, dusty corn, black pepper.  I wish the banana note was a little more integrated with the other notes.  

Palate

Bananas Foster is at the front of the palate but less prominent than on the nose.  Pecan Spinwheels heavy with baking spices follow.  Nice confectionary sweetness balanced by spice.  

Finish

Holy moly this is char heavy on the finish for the age!  Burnt brown sugar and salted caramel are fighting with ashy char for several minutes after the sip.  Warehouse location must be a major factor on what barrels go into this label because the finish is reminiscent of much older whiskey.

In closing

Admittedly, I am a bit of a Beam fanboy, but it is hard to find a distillery that continues to put out great whiskey for affordable prices.  While this isn’t the most complex whiskey I’ve ever tasted, I can say that the finish is outstanding for what I am going to assume is a four-year-old product. The main reason I keep coming back to Old Overholt Bonded is because it is hard to find a finish this satisfying at this low of a price point in my opinion.