“Poor” Old Overholt

Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey has a very significant history in the development of the whiskey industry in the United States.  Established in 1810 it is recognized as the first commercial distillery in the United States.  It produced Straight Rye Whiskey that was aged in oak barrels for four years as it is today.  Prior to 1810, however they distilled this Rye as an elixer at the family farm, and here is where it gets interesting.  Back just after the American revolution, citizens of the US used to drink a lot more than they do now.  About 6 times as much per capita as is sold today.  They used to drink (primarily Rye) for Breakfast, they would soak peppers in rye and sprinkle it on their food, they were drinking Rye like we drink soda or energy drinks today.

Why Rye?  Because it was the first completely American drink!  During the time of colonization Rum was the favorite, but once the revolution took place the early settlers wanted a distilled beverage that had all the ingredients readily available in the US.  Rye was the first drink to fit that bill.  Made from rye, barley, corn, and yeast all the ingredients were grown in the US and the infrastructure was quickly built to accommodate America’s growing taste for this whiskey.  By 1813 the Distillery for Old Overholt was capable of producing over 3000 gallons of distillate per day, by 1870 that had grown to over 15,000 gallons per day. There was a time in this country’s past that Rye was far more popular than Bourbon or Tennessee Whiskey.  Through acquisition and change of hands, Old Overholt moved from its original location in Pennsylvania to its current home in Clermont, Kentucky. I’ll bet you can guess who distills this whiskey now…

That’s right, if its Clermont it must be Beam.  Still using the old mash recipe with the highest rye concentration in the US at 61% Beam has put time in a bottle.  Now the question is, is that a good thing?

The nose on this is quite different than a typical whiskey, there is some vanilla sweetness, and a little alcohol, from the 80 proof or 40% ABV, but it is all very flat and almost dusty smelling.  When I took the first sip, it was interesting.  Partly because it tasted so different, and partly because I am trying to train my palate to recognize the different flavors of the grains.  This definitely has a grainy flavor of the rye that is so prevalent in the mash.  It starts sweet like the vanilla I detected in the nose but quickly turns bitter and grainy with a dry finish.

Neat

This is not a great neat whiskey, its bitter and dry finish dominate and the flavor isn’t great.

On the Rocks

Surprisingly by cooling this whiskey, the nose comes alive, what was once faint vanilla, is now full bodied and has a toasty smell almost like roasted marshmallows.  Unfortunately the flavor doesn’t improve. Just makes it cold.

With a Splash

It calms the little bit of burn on the finish and brings out a smoky quality.

Some people rave about Old Overholt, it is priced right at $16 for a fifth, but I can’t get past the bitterness of the rye.  I can appreciate the historic nature of this juice, but that is where my appreciation ends.  Its dryness and bitterness, and almost dusty flavor of the grains is not pleasing to my palate.  People like to mix this with ginger ale, or make it into an old fashioned and perhaps that would help this otherwise “Poor” Old Overholt.

-Don