Castle & Cairn

Named after Abraham Overhold (1784 - 1870), this Suntory owned brand has its roots as a Pennsylvania rye though it is now made and aged in Kentucky by Jim Beam . Old Overholt is the oldest continuously released rye in production. It was one of the few makers to continue production during prohibition under a medicinal whiskey license, potentially benefiting from its partial ownership by Andrew Mellon, Warren G. Harding's Secretary of the Treasury. This bonded iteration was introduced in 2017 as bottled-in-bond whiskey experienced a resurgence during the corresponding whiskey boom. Together Old Overholt and Old Granddad are referred to and sometimes marketed as "The Olds". While other rye whiskies experienced more of a resurgence in the 90s cocktails renaissance, Old Overholt remained a sleeper pick though it still has as strong connection to Old West culture. JFK and Ulysses S. Grant both considered this standard version of this whiskey to be their go-to.  🛒 Sourced:  $25...

Upgraded in both age statement and reasonable proof, Jim Beam Black Label has a new label to match the reinvigorated specs as of 2024. Bourbon stocks have been under pressure for around a decade, but exploding producer capacity has finally caught up just a demand begins to lag. As always, the brutality of supply and demand can have some upsides, and this is bottle is one. Prior to 2015 Black Label actually had an eight year age statement. Perhaps we'll see it again if trends continue. Jim Beam did buy up a few bottles from the late 1980s and tried to replicate that flavor as closely as possible, so the current age and proof are supposedly in that vein.   From a design perspective, this bottle joins Jim Beam Double Oaked, Devil's Cut, Special Releases , and Single Barrel at the premium end of the Jim Beam range, billed as an affordable step up from a litter of flavored versions of the iconic white label.  🛒 Sourced:  $27.99 - Total Wine, GA - 750ml, also com...

Joining a packed lineup of flavored, finished, and extra aged expressions, Jim Beam Single Barrel  packs some extra proof and is had selected by the Beam team from stocks of the namesake spirit. Jim Beam brings its different brands off the still at different proofs, so there is no chance of this being a rejected Knob, Bakers, or Booker's Barrel; it'll be the crème de la crème of Beam itself. This is the most premium Jim Beam offering in the regular lineup and has been in production since 2013. Weak consumer sentiment resulted in them revamping the offering in 2019, upping the proof from 95 to the current 108 and changing the bottle design (cork was switched to twist top for cost reasons, a trade I'm perfectly willing to make).  🛒 Sourced:  $39.99 - Total Wine, GA 750ml - Priced to compete with Evan Williams Single Barrel , though that bottle is at a lower proof. In my experience, not a whole lot of retailers stock this bottle, so your best bet is likely one of the big ch...

Suntory has been on a bit of a roll recently with it's Jim Beam family of products. Black Label got a proof bump and its seven year age statement back while they seem to have enough extra juice lying around to put out this limited edition toasted bourbon as well. Jim Beam winter reserve is a sipping quality concept designed to emphasize lovely toasted oak flavors such as vanilla, cinnamon spice, and cloves. It is not a flavored whiskey! Instead it is double aged in toasted barrels following its initial stint in charred oak.  Toasting involves heating the wood at a lower temperature for a longer period without reaching the char point. This process preserves more of the wood's natural flavor compounds, like vanillin and brings out more nuanced flavors from the wood, including spices, nuts, and maybe even a slight smokiness. This is our first low cost, mass market release from Jim Beam since the Repeal Batch in 2018 which gives us a good indication that Beam stocks must be catchi...

📚 Background: Now under the management of Jim Beam in Clermont Kentucky, the Old Grand-Dad brand was named by one Raymond B. Hayden after his grandfather Meredith Basil Hayden Sr. (incidentally the namesake of the Basil Hayden Brand, introduced by Beam in 1992). A truly historic line, the whiskey has been sold under the same name since 1840 and Hayden Sr's face still graces the front of the bottle. The old man was known for using a higher percentage of the more expensive rye in his distilling (the "more costly" small grains alluded to on the back of the bottle). Old Grand-Dad 114 is the highest proof offering of the roster which also features a 100-proof Bottled-in-Bond and an 80-proof budget version, alas reduced from 86 proof in 2013. Together, you may hear Old Grand-Dad and Old Overholt referred to as "The Olds", and Old Grand-Dad's distinctive orange and black visage has graced such cultural sensations as M*A*S*H and Mad Men . 🛒 Sourced:  $29.99 Cost...