Whiskey Review: Old Grand-Dad Bourbon

We’re back with another budget bourbon review, and this week we’re digging into Old Grand-Dad Bourbon—the standard 80-proof version. It’s been a while since we revisited this brand, and we weren’t sure if we’d tried this specific expression before. Old Grand-Dad is part of Beam Suntory’s lineup and belongs to their so-called “Olds Collection” (Old Crow, Old Overholt, Old Tub, and Old Grand-Dad).

The mash bill here is 63% corn, 27% rye, and 10% malted barley, making it a high-rye bourbon. Originally created in 1882 by Raymond B. Hayden and named after his grandfather Meredith Basil Hayden Sr., this whiskey shares some lineage with Basil Hayden, another Beam product we’ve found a bit underwhelming in the past. At 80 proof and designed largely for mixing, Old Grand-Dad has some stiff competition in the bottom-shelf bourbon category.

This review is taken from our episode "Star Wars (1977) / Old Grand-Dad Bourbon." Click the link to listen to this review in audio format.

Nose

Brad:
This time around, I felt like there was a really nice Honeycrisp apple vibe going on. There’s some caramel drizzle and a little bit of baking spice. I didn’t really get any strong rye spice from it. Overall, this is a relatively pleasant nose—not overwhelming. The 80 proof definitely tamps down anything potent from hitting your nose.
Score: 6/10

Bob:
I’m gonna be at a 7/10 on this. I actually get a ton of rye spice. It’s almost setting itself up as a counterargument to “this smells cheap.” I can’t tell if it smells like a cheap whiskey or if it smells like a really potent rye, because those rye notes are covering up a lot of that chemically smell we sometimes get on cheap whiskey. There’s a ton of black pepper here—really spicy nose. I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt.

Taste

Brad:
The palate has a ton of cinnamon. For me, it’s almost like a Red Hot gum type of thing. There’s a decent amount of caramel, and it really feels like a baked apple, where you’ve lost a little bit of the sweetness. It’s just like a nice soft baked apple. Once again, the spiciness stays in the realm of cinnamon. I actually enjoyed this palate a decent amount.
Score: 7/10

Bob:
I’m coming down to a 6.5/10 here, and that has more to do with the back of the palate. I get this weird Splenda-like note on the finish, same thing I picked up last week on Crown Royal. I wonder if it’s just a byproduct of watering down a whiskey so much. That said, this drinks a lot tastier than the mouthfeel would suggest. It’s a pleasant taste—baked apple, lots of cinnamon, a little yeasty and bready—kind of like an apple turnover or dumpling. But it’s really thin, super watery at the back end, and that artificial sweetener note shows up.

Finish

Bob:
The finish evaporates pretty quickly. I’m left with an unpleasant sweetener note, though I do get a bit of cinnamon left on the front of my palate. So those two things are kind of competing—one good, one bad. I think I’m just going to be at 5.5/10 here.

Brad:
I think the finish is kind of an in-between place for me. I’ll give it a 6.5/10. The cinnamon really stays around strong. It gets a little ashy. A little bit of the oak comes through. It’s overall just kind of a spicy cinnamon finish that doesn’t sour for me the way it did for you.

Balance

Brad:
I’m actually going to give it a 7/10. For me, the cinnamon note stays through as a through line for the entire experience. There’s some caramel throughout. It gives you a little bit of a traditional bourbon experience with a decent amount of cinnamon spice. I think it’s relatively well balanced.

Bob:
I’ll come up to a 6/10, but that’s primarily because I’m scoring it based on the category of whiskey it’s in. This is bottom-shelf whiskey, and among bottom-shelf whiskeys, it’s decently balanced.

Value

Bob:
We paid over $20 for this bottle, which really surprised me. In the state of Ohio, it’s $17, but we picked it up in Kentucky. Still, when I compare it to something like Benchmark Top Floor at 86 proof—which I think is a much more well-rounded whiskey—Old Grand-Dad falls short. I kept wondering, “Would this work in a cocktail?” And I don’t think it would. It’s already too thin. Add any ice to this, and it’s not going to taste like whiskey anymore. Even for $17, I wouldn’t go here for a mixer bourbon.
Score: 6.5/10

Brad:
It’s a decent value. I’m going to land at a 7/10. In the world of sub-$20 whiskey, if you’re drinking it neat, this is a decent option. But if you’re mixing, there are better choices—like Rebel 100, which is 100 proof and still $20. Or some of the Benchmark products that are higher proof—maybe $22, but 110+ proof. There are other options out there for mixing. But drinking this neat? It’s actually not bad at all.

Final Scores

Brad: 33.5/50
Bob: 31.5/50
Average: 32.5/50

Conclusion

Old Grand-Dad 80 Proof finishes with an average score of 32.5/50, which falls just below our usual recommendation threshold. For context, a 35/50 means we’d suggest trying it at a bar, and anything 40+ is bottle-worthy. This pour has a decent nose and a pleasant cinnamon-forward palate, but its watery texture and thin finish hold it back.

As a bottom-shelf sipper, it’s better than expected, especially if you’re drinking it neat. But it doesn’t quite have the strength to stand up in cocktails, and its price-to-proof ratio is underwhelming compared to competitors. A few more proof points could make all the difference here—but as it stands, Old Grand-Dad is a near miss.